Sk8r Boi 1: Boarderlines
by onelildustbunni
Summary: Ultimate Wolverine meets Ultimate Rogue. The result? Read on !! R&R please ^-^
1. Default Chapter

****

Boarderlines

****

Sk8er Boi {Avril Lavigne}

****

He was a boy, she was a girl

can I make it any more obvious

He was a punk

She did ballet

What more can I say

He wanted her

She'd never tell

But secretly she wanted him as well

And all of their friends

Stuck up their nose

and they had a problem with his baggy clothes

He was a sk8er boi

She said to yah later boi

He wasn't good enough for her

She had a pretty face

But her head was up in space

She needed to come back down to earth

Five years from now

She sits at home

Feeding the baby she's all alone

She turns on tv

And guess who she sees

Sk8er Boi rockin' up MTV

She calls up her friends

They already know

And they've all got tickets to see his show

She tags along

And stands in the crowd

Looks up at the man that she turned down

He was a sk8er boi

She said to yah later boi

He wasn't good enough for her

Now he's a superstar 

Slamming on his guitar

Does your pretty face see what he's worth? 

He was a sk8er boi

She said to yah later boi

He wasn't good enough for her

Now he's a superstar 

Slamming on his guitar

Does your pretty face see what he's worth? 

Sorry girl but you missed out

Well tough luck that boi's mine now

We are more than just good friends

This is how the story ends

Too bad thatcha couldn't see

See the man that boi could be

There is more than meets the eye

I see the sole that is inside

He's just a boi

And I'm just a girl

Can I make it any more obvious?

We are in love, haven't u heard?

How we rock each other's world!

Yeah I'm with the sk8er boi

I said to yah later boi

I'll be backstage after the show

I'll be at his studio

Singin' the song we wrote'

About a girl you used to know

Yeah I'm with the sk8er boi

I said to yah later boi

I'll be backstage after the show

I'll be at his studio

Singin' the song we wrote'

About a girl you used to know

****

Author's note: Hi! It's me, with another crazy story from the messed up brain of Kate…

This one is about the Ultimate X-men---starring Rogue and Wolverine.

I'm a fan of that comic series, and something ordered me to write a fic for those

Two---they belong together ^-^ !!!

This story runs pretty much on the beginnings of Ultimate X-men----Logan joins 

the group with the orders to assassinate Xavier, beds Jean, and gets hell for it.

{Sorry Logan took over right there :P}

They were never captured by Weapon X yet, however, and Rogue met them

previously only in battle.

Pick up from there, and I will soon be putting up a website with the pics for the

characters in this story.

Enjoy!

~1LilRoGuE/KaTe~

****

Dedications: To my big sista, best friend, and devoted/ ADDICTED fan, annie ^-^

****

Disclaimer: Why do some people have all the luck in the world? For instance Marvel.

They own their writers, their artists, all that great equipment, and on TOP of

everything they own every version of the guy I want---Wolverine!!!

Oh it's all Marvel this. Marvel that. Marvel, Marvel, EVERYWHERE!

For a change, I'm going to say that all characters in this story {ESPECIALLY

WOLVERINE} belong to me.

Zip. Nada. Every last one of them. I own them all.

*sees field of lawyers stampeding towards her* 

Y'know what, I change my mind hehehehe. All the characters in this story belong to 

MARVEL ENTERPRISES,

I OWN NOTHING!!! GOTTA RUN!!! 

****

Song disclaimer: The song 'Sk8er Boi' belongs to Avril Lavigne---it's on her slamming album "Let Go".

-1-

The room was filled with elegant, glossy oak furniture, well-maintained houseplants, and large oil paintings that looked to be in the range of thousands of dollars.

It was the kind of room that made someone almost afraid to breath, lest the air would shatter the expensive objects around them.

The girl felt exactly that, perched more than sitting on a plush green velvet-covered sofa.

At first she had instinctively taken small breaths, studying the room around her to take her mind off whatever she might be facing next.

She shook herself mentally and gulped in air to defy the unspoken rules of the polished room.

Ah'm bein stupid, She thought angrily. Rooms can't have rules.

She sighed and twirled a strand of white hair from her bangs around one finger, watching the silky soft skein form a spiral over the black material of her glove. 

White an black, She thought dreamily. Colors ahv death.

The heavy wooden doors clicked open suddenly, making her head whip up in natural readiness.

Her few years of battle had taught her to be prepared for anything.

Moments later a foreign thought echoed in her head, politely telling her in a benign mental voice that he would see her now in his office.

'He' was Professor C. Xavier, head of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters in Wenchester, New York---the secret head quarters of the outlaw band called the X-men.

She knew of the X-men---she'd fought them with the Brotherhood before, using her powers of absorption to knock them out, then using the stolen powers against the rest of them.

The Brotherhood had been successful that time, which happened very rarely due to their lack of members.

The blue skinned shapeshifter called Mystique had then noticed her potential, and put her all into training the girl into the skilled mutant warrior known only as Rogue.

Years later, the Brotherhood planned a raid on an army base to capture much-needed supplies---ammunition, food, blankets, and much more.

Mystique had heard rumors that the X-men where onto their scheme, and in a flash of foresight, ordered Rogue to guard the mission and attack enemies on sight.

Unfortunately, she hadn't counted on Rogue coming up against a telekinetic that was fairly new to the team, which rendered the southern girl vulnerable to the mutant Psylocke's mind grenades.

Rogue had finally fallen unconscious and had been brought to the school's steel-walled infirmary to recover.

Eventually, she had been allowed to leave with nothing more than a severe headache, which had eventually faded as time went by.

A day later she had received a request to meet with the Professor in his office, and that was how she had winded up in this situation.

Nervously, she stood up and walked to the still-opened doors, venturing to touch the polished wood with a wary gloved hand.

Ah wonder what kind ahv force field's keepin that open, She thought as she passed through the doorway.

"Actually, it is not quite a force field that is controlling the door at the moment."

She started at the sound of the benign voice before heard only in her head speaking aloud.

Her vision took in the beautifully furnished office---the shelves filled with many volumes of books, the posh velvet chairs, the enormous windows, the large desk with neatly stacked papers, and the man sitting behind it.

He looked to be an older gentleman, bald, with a kind face and knowing eyes that twinkled when he spoke.

His immaculate suit was a dark shade of bottle green, complementing the posh furnishings of the study as perfectly as if he was a chair or a painting.

"I am Professor Charles Xavier, gifted with telepathy and telekinetics."

The door swung shut behind her.

"Come, have a seat, and we will get to the basis of this meeting."

Rogue ventured over to one of the burgundy velvet chairs and timidly sat down.

"I have asked you here to offer you residence at the school---a room, food, clothing, and education in both regular schooling and training in the control of your mutantcy."

He paused to let the words sink in.

"I ask nothing in return, only that you would perhaps consider joining the X-men somewhere along the line. There is absolutely no obligation."

Rogue mulled this over in her head, the thought of food and new clothes very tempting.

"It ahwl sounds great, professah, but theah is one lil problem."

Professor Xavier nodded.

"Go on."

Rogue sighed.

"Ah'm not a turncoat. Th' brotherhood is mah family an mah allegiance."

A memory of Mystique teaching her popped into her head.

' Do whatever you have to do to insure survival, Rogue, even if it involves double-crossing your family and friends. You must always come first in your eyes. Remember that.'

"Th' food an clothes sound good, though, so ah'll think it ovah if that's okay with yah."

The Professor nodded again.

"That is absolutely fine, Rogue. In the meantime, I encourage you to enjoy the luxuries of the mansion freely."

Rogue gave a small smile.

"Thank yeah, that's very kaind."

They exchanged farewells and the meeting was over.

+ + + + + 


	2. Chapter 2

                                                                                           + + + + +  

Making her way to her temporary room from Xavier's office was no easy work.

Endless corridors invited her to walk down them, taunting her with their emptiness and unspoken codes of conduct practiced there.

She longed to find some people, any people, even if they beat her up for being a mutie.

She was on the fourth floor, looking at an oil painting of a stern looking old Englishman with his horse and his dog when suddenly a mass of something solid hit her.

"Ahh!" She said, jumping back.

Last thang ah need to do is drain one ahv th' people heah. See how welcome ah am then.

"Watch where yer goin'!"

She stared with disbelief at the man.

He had unruly black hair, styled in a way that Rogue found impossible to exactly describe, but it somehow rose to two points on either sides of his head. His eyes were an icy blue, watching every little movement she made like he was estimating how strong she was and how fast he could take her down. A somewhat beaked nose and a goatee completed the picture.

"Watch wheah ah'm goin? But ah was just lookin at th' paintin! You walked inta me."

He growled in response.

"Okay, take it easy shugah. Ah was worried cause ahv mah skin, nothin else."

He snarled, and she suddenly recognized him from a previous fight.

"I know who y' are. Don' try nothin'. I was against havin' y' here in the first place, but good ol' Chuck just couldn't leave y' there."

Rogue was taken back for a moment by his open hostility.

"Ah'm not heah t' do anything. Ah'm actually considerin joinin yah team…the Professah offahed me a permahnent room heah."

She instantly regretted her perfectly well meant statement.

"Chuck asked yah t' stay here? What the hell is he thinkin'?! Yer one o' em brotherhood people, always will be!"

Rogue looked away, tears forming in her eyes.

Ah'm not wanted heah eithah, She thought miserably. 

The brotherhood had been just as unwelcoming and cold to her when she first joined, until Mystique had realized just how powerful the little skunk-striped southern belle could be.

"I'm warnin' y'---try anythin' an I'll make sure y' suffer fer it."

Rogue nodded numbly, wishing that he wouldn't notice the tears rolling down her cheeks, but she was out of luck in that category.

"A wimp too," He said, looking disgusted. "Some great warrior, cryin' at the drop o' a hat. That blue bitch trained y' well, heh?"

This riled Rogue.

"Don't y' dare talk about mah family laike that!" She said, clenching her fists.

He was about to make a nasty remark back when a redheaded girl appeared around the corner.

Rogue instantly recognized her from fights before, as she was one of the first X-men and had been there the longest of them all.

Her hair was cropped close to her head, fitting in nicely with her energetic green eyes and her even features.

She wore a light pink tank top and jean cut-offs to suit the broiling hot weather (making Rogue long to strip off a few of the heavy layers of protective fabric she was forced to wear.) A pair of enormous silver hoop earrings complemented her pleasant face.

"Wolverine! Stop it! She's not going to do anything, are you, Rogue?"

Rogue shook her head meekly, determined to stay on good terms with these people.

"There. Come on now, I'll show you the kitchen so you can have some breakfast."

Rogue longed to stay and hack it out with Wolverine, but this redhead seemed intent on preventing a fight, so she followed her down the hall.

"What's yah name?" She finally asked as they passed a row of doors.

"Oh! Did I forget to tell you? Stupid me. I'm Jean Grey, aka Marvel Girl from the X-men. You must remember me from some battle---I know I've seen you in action before."

Rogue nodded.

"What's your real name?" Jean asked as they turned down another hallway.

"Ah don't remembah. Rogue is it, ah guess."

"Oh," Jean said softly.

"You and Wolverine have something in common then. He can't remember who he is either."

Rogue's insides boiled at the mention of the man who had insulted her family.

"Who th' hell does he think he is anyways? He called mah mothah a 'blue bitch'!"

Jean shook her head.

"I have to apologize for him, Rogue. He's just the team's grump. He can be a real pain in the ass sometimes. Did you know he used to work for the Brotherhood too?"

Rogue raised her eyebrows.

"He did? Ah've nevah heard ahv him. Whai then does he hate th'  'hood?"

Jean pursed her lips.

"Magneto and him aren't on good terms after the last encounter. He was hurt pretty badly."

Rogue sighed.

"I broke up with him when I found out he was working for Magneto, so that could add to his chip on the shoulder some too. "

Rogue was surprised to hear this.

"You went out with him?"

Jean grinned sheepishly.

"Yes. It's a long story though."

Rogue let the subject drop as they reached the kitchen.

"Do you want to come shopping with Oro and me today?"

That touched Rogue, being offered to do things with the girl group of the school.

Th' 'hood nevah did that, She thought, adding another mental tick in favor of Xavier's school.

"Sure," She agreed, and they proceeded to discuss the plans of their day.

                                                                                        + + + + +  

By evening, Rogue was exhausted.

She had been given a full tour of the mansion, then she'd gone shopping with Jean and Oro, who had turned out to be very nice.

A knock at the door jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Come in," She called.

She almost snarled in good imitation of Wolverine when he entered the room.

"Jean an Chuck made me come."

His words clearly defined that this was not his idea.

"First off, I'm supposed t' tell yah that I'm sorry, which I'm not, but I gotta say it anyways."

Rogue shook her head.

"Don't. Ah hate it when people say thangs they don't mean."

He nodded, not willing to let himself put it as a point in her favor.

"Fine. I'll just say I did. They won't ever know---they can't read my mind."

That peeked her interest.

"How's that?" She asked.

"None o' yer business. The second thing is—I gotta show you around the grounds while there's still some light, so get up and let's get it over with."

Rogue grimaced.

"Cahn'tcha just laih about that too?"

He shook his head.

"They'd know cuz you wouldn't be able to find yer way outside. I'd be in big trouble fer that."

Rogue sighed with disappointment and pulled on her shoes once more.

"Ahlraight, ah'm readahy, but ah'm not gonna enjoy this."

 He growled.

"Neither 'm I. Let's go."

Once they were outside, Rogue felt a little less constrained, and she found it easier to not rip Wolverine's throat out as she so desperately wanted to.

"So y' used t' go out with Jean?" Rogue asked, feeling the need to fill the empty silence.

"Yeah," He grunted, pointing a white arch a few feet away from them.

"That there's th' garden."

Rogue followed him through the archway into a beautiful courtyard filled with blossoming flowers of almost every kind imaginable.

"It's beautiful," She gasped.

He nodded.

"Smells good too."

Rogue glanced at him curiously.

"Really? Ah don't smell anything…"

He shrugged.

"Super nose one of your powers?" She joked with a smile.

He grinned.

"Yeah, actually. That 'n good hearin'."

She almost made another joke when she remembered what he had said to her earlier, so she stayed silent.

He shifted position uncomfortably.

"Y'know, I kinda am sorry…yer probably a nice person…but'cher on the other side."

Rogue made a face.

"Not if ah join," She said defensively.

He smiled grimly.

"Don't prove nothin'. Y' could be just pullin' one' like I---" He stopped midway, uncertain.

"Ah already know," She said blandly. 

"Ah know y' worked with th' 'hood, but ah dunno the details."

He shrugged.

"Y' don' need to. I'll show y' the pool now."

Rogue followed him into a large, dark structure with a high dome roof.

"Oh mah," She said, looking at the ceiling.

Blue light from the water below danced and shimmered on the ceiling, creating a display much like northern lights in a dark evening sky.

"Yeah," He said, glancing up.

She only nodded, too awed to speak.

Wolverine took the opportunity to look her up and down, and he soon found himself admiring her glossy, waist-long locks of auburn hair, perfectly brown except for the splash of white that was her bangs.

She's beautiful, He thought without really thinking, and caught himself about to make a move on her.

Jesus, she's th' enemy! I can't start lettin' myself get soft. That's just what they want.

He was too lost in berating himself that he hadn't seen her watching him until she spoke.

"What's your real name?" She asked softly.

"Logan," He replied without thinking, then mentally kicked himself for slipping information.

Next thing I know I'll tell her the codes fer Cerebro. Cripes.

"That's nice," She said. "It suits yah."

He shrugged.

"I guess."

She blew a strand of white hair off of her face.

"Why're yah cahled Wolverine, shugah?" She asked with a puzzled expression.

"Ah cawght a glimpse ahv yah in th' last faight, but ah nevah got t' see yah do anythang. Ah don't think yah'd make th' team on hearing an smelling alone."

He struggled for an answer, unsure of what to say.

If I show the claws, she'll know my powers an' be able to calculate me. Plus she'd freak. But I don' wanna lie. What the fuck do I tell her?

He cleared his throat for time.

"Well…ah…I guess cause I'm stubborn. I dunno how I got it, really, but I think it has somethin' t' do with that."

Rogue smiled slyly.

"That ain't all, shugah. Jean looked worried in the hallwahy theah when we were faightin. She wouldn't be worried about you if yah didn't have somethang else. What is it?"

He sighed.

"Fine, fine. These."

She started as three slivers of metal split his knuckles and drew out to their full 9 inches.

"Lawd!" She gasped, clutching at her chest.

"Sorry," He said with a grimace.

"A lot o' people get that reaction. I'm used t' it."

Rogue shook her head.

"No, no, yah spooked meh. Can ah touch them?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah, sure, I guess. No one's ever asked to before, but it's okay. Go ahead."

He held out his fist and watched her strip one arm of her glove.

"What's with the gloves?" He asked, noticing for the first time how covered up she was.

"Um," She said, her fingertips inches away from the long metal blades.

"Ah guess ah should tell yah," She said with a heavy sigh, withdrawing her bare hand sadly.

"Mah powahs---mah skin---if ah touch someone, anyone, without somethin in between our skin, ah take everythang----energy, soul, memories, personalities, powahs, an if th' connection's too long, theah laife."

 He turned this over in his mind, stunned.

"Everything?" He asked finally.

"Everythang," She said, nodding sadly.

"Ah cahn't control it, no mattah what ah do. That's whai ah'm considering taking the professah up on his generous offah. 'You must always come first in your eyes' was what mah momma used t' say."

He let out a breath.

"That must suck."

She smiled grimly.

"Ah learned t' cope, but th' first taime was so scary---the gaih---he just---"

At this point she choked up, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Rough, but that's life."

She nodded and dabbed at her eyes.

"C'mon, let's get this show back on the road. Next up is the Practice Field."

                                                                                        + + + + +  


	3. Chapter 3

                                                                                        + + + + +  

Rogue fidgeted as she once more sat in the expensive office before the Professor.

"So, Rogue, have you made your decision yet?"

She squirmed under the Professor's knowing gaze, and wondered if he'd already read her mind for her choice.

"Yeah," She squeaked, then mentally slapped herself for being so timid.

The Professor nodded with encouragement.

"Excellent. Please do tell."

Rogue fought down the little ifs and buts that rose to her throat, remembering only Mystique's guiding words as she struggled to gain composure.

"Ah've decided t' stay."

Professor Xavier smiled widely.

"I am very pleased with your decision, Rogue. You will make many friends and family here, and quite a few happy memories, to say the least."

Rogue nodded.

"Ah have a few thangs to ask an tell though. Y' said y' could help meh control mah mutation?"

The Professor clasped his hands in front of him.

"I prefer to call them Gifts, Rogue. Yes, we will do all within our power to help you learn to use your gifts."

Rogue grinned.

"Thank yeh, professah, y' ahre very kaind."

She straightened in her velvet chair.

"Ah owe so much to you, so ah've decided that ah will join th' X-men, if y' can faind a use for meh."

The Professor's smile grew, and his eyes twinkled.

"Rogue, you must never feel indebted to me for what I have done. Anyone would do the same. But I am very delighted with your decisions. I believe they are wise ones."

They exchanged a few more pleasantries and then the meeting was adjourned.

                                                                                     + + + + +  

"You're staying?" Oro asked.

"Yeah," Rogue said, her grin widening at the expression on her newfound friend's face.

"That is wonderful!" The white haired African American cried, clapping her hands together.

"It certainly is," Jean said, her smile almost as wide as Rogue's.

"Think of all the fun we will have," Oro said happily.

"We are no longer only 2 girls. We are now 3!"

Rogue laughed.

"Ah guess so. Scott said theah's a spot fer meh on th' team, too, so we'll be the X-chicks."

The girls chattered excitedly for a few minutes, discussing plans and ideas for fun activities.

"Jean! Oro!" A voice called from across the field.

"Oh, jeesh," Jean said, closing her eyes and using her telepathy to find out what Scott wanted.

Finally she opened them and heaved a sigh.

"Sorry Rogue, but we gotta go. It's Oro's and my Danger Room session, and Scott just doesn't reschedule these kind of things. I'll get him to fit you in with us for next session, okay?" 

Rogue nodded.

"See yah at Dinnah!" She called after them as they walked away, and she watched them until they were out of  her sight before leaning back in the grass and looking around her.

Suddenly the feeling of being watched descended upon her, making her nervous and jumpy.

"So, hear y' stayin?"

Rogue looked up at Logan's tall form.

"Y' heard raight."

He sneered.

"Now I'm gonna have t' put up with yer ugly mug every day."

Rogue sighed.

"Same heah, an trust meh, that ain't no small feat, shugah."

Logan growled.

"Don't enjoy it too much, slut. I reckon yeh'd have a go with Sabertooth if y' had a chance."

Rogue stood up and glared at him.

"Chauvinistic Paig!"

Logan snarled.

"Fuckin' turncoat!"

Rogue took off her glove with a dangerous grin.

"Y' wanna faight meh, shugah? Ah won't blame yeh if yah're scared. Ah'd expect that from yeh!"

Logan's answer was the sound of his claws slicing through his knuckles.

"Yeh don't have th' guts," Rogue taunted, leaving her chest completely open on purpose.

She did a back flip to avoid the fistful of knives.

"Slow poke," She snickered.

Logan growled low and sprang.

She barely managed to duck his attack, making the blades miss her by a mere millimeter.

They tumbled to the grass, throwing punches and insults at each other as they rolled around, until Rogue was panting with exertion.

Logan showed no signs of wear whatsoever.

She was near panic, knowing that she had little energy left to fend off the blades that danced ever closer to her throat, promising a gurgling death.

"Whaih ahrn'tcha….*pant*…tiring…..*pant*…shugah?" She asked, slowly dodging his fist.

He grinned wolfishly.

"Healin' factor, didn'cha pay attention to th' Cerebro lesson?"

She groaned and was rewarded with a bladeless punch to her nose, making her eyes water with pain.

He took the opportunity to pop his claws once more, and with a satisfied growl lined them up to her chest.

"Have'eh nice time in hell, bitch!" He said, then slid them slowly into her flesh.

She couldn't scream as the blood burst from her lungs, bubbling into her airways and throat as she tried to take a shallow breath.

It hurts so much, She thought, the lack of oxygen taking effect.

So this is death, death, what ah always wanted for all those yeahs. This is death...

Her vision was blurring, but she could still make out Logan's features fairly clearly.

She was surprised to see the mixed emotions that were displayed so clearly on his face---a panicked look, a look of regret, a look of sorrow, and a look of self disgust.

"W-" She tried to form words, but they wouldn't come.

Her vision blurred a notch.

"Shhh." 

She heard him as though from far away as her eyes began to close.

Something warm and soft brushed her face, and she felt energy pouring into her; pure, raw energy, healing energy, emotional energy.

Her vision sharpened and she was able to make out something that resembled a face bent over to hers.

The eyes were closed.

A sound stirred the air---metal sliding against metal, and suddenly the pain stopped—just stopped.

"Oh mah gawd," She gasped, her oxygen starved brain slowly realizing what had just happened.

She pushed Logan's prone form away as though he carried some kind of contagious disease, tears beginning to pour down her pale blood-streaked face.

"Oh gawd, no, ah didn't mean t', ah didn't," 

She broke into dry sobs.

Don't cry. I had t' do it. 'S not yer fault. 'S mine.

"No, it ain't, it's all maine," She cried.

'S my temper. Calm down. There's a good girl.

Her racking sobs quieted and she became aware of the fact that she was the only one breathing.

"Oh mah gawd," She gasped, crawling over to his side and staring with panic at his pale, lifeless face.

"What do ah do? What do ah do? Help meh!" She said, her heart fluttering.

You know CPR, doncha? Use it. 

She followed his mental instructions carefully, grimacing slightly when it was time to force in air.

"Ah can't touch his skin," She whispered.

I'm in control. Trust me. Just do it.

She nervously bent over his still features, wishing she could just up and run away.

Trust me.

She gently touched her lips against his bare skin.

Nothing happened.

Do it! Before it's too late.

She began to force the air into his lungs, following his instructions for the heart and other vital signs to a T.

He coughed suddenly, and she felt his heart start beneath her fingertips.

She leaned back on her heels, her heart beginning to settle back to its usual place in her freshly regenerated ribcage, pumping slowly and in rhythm with Logan's.

"Thank gawd," She whispered.

A moment later he opened his eyes and sat up.

"What happened? Did it work?" 

His tone was sharp and demanding.

"A-ah think so," She said uncertainly. 

"Ah'm breathing, ain't ah?"

He grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't tell right now."

A funny lurch jolted through her stomach at the sight of his teasing eyes, and her cheeks flamed as she realized she had a deep desire to kiss him.

The piece of Wolverine that she had absorbed stayed silent on the topic, not willing to reveal his feelings to the girl with the skunk striped hair, thus betraying his real self.

She looked away quickly, searching for something to say.

"I-ah-ah-I," She stuttered, mixing his and her accents in her confusion.

"That's funny," He said with a chuckle.

"What?" She asked, trying to ignore the strange urge to lay her hands on his chest and feel the rumble.

"Yer talkin' like me a bit."

"Oh," She said, vowing to be more careful with her words.

"I kinda like it," He said with sincerity.

She nodded, and her sad expression reminded him of the situation at hand.

He swallowed noisily.

"What're—what're y' gonna tell Chuck?"

Rogue stammered to answer.

"I-ah didn't think we were gonna tell Chuck—ah mean th' Professah—about this."

He felt even worse about the whole thing when he saw a tear leak down her cheek.

"I---tell him. It's too many times. I'm too dangerous. Guess one-eye boy was right after all."

Rogue frowned.

"Y'---it's not yer fault, shugah. Ah stahted it---ah provoked yeh. It's mah fault."

He sighed.

"No---I should---I'm older than you. I'm the adult here. I shoulda stopped."

He lowered his face sadly.

"Butcha didn't, shugah, an ah think in ah way ah'm kinda glad, y'know…y' know how to control mah 'gifts'."

Logan looked up.

"Really?"

She nodded.

"So y' can touch now?"

Her face broke into a grin.

"Yeah. Ah owe y' a lot for that one."

He smiled grimly.

"I think we'd better scram 'fore Chuck gets wind of this."

He stood up.

"Think y' can keep it from him?"

Rogue tapped her temple.

"I got y' in theah, bub---ah mean shugah."

It still sounding funny to Logan to hear her use his words, but he ignored it this time.

"Bye then."

"Bye," Rogue said softly, watching him out of sight.

                                                                                        + + + + + 


	4. Chapter 4

                                                                                           + + + + + 

"Rogue, try to pay attention please. This is important."

Rogue was picking at a thread in her gloves, completely ignoring the ongoing drone of Scott's voice.

"Rogue!"

Rogue looked up, a sneer on her face.

"If it's so damn important, then they wouldn't have y' talkin' about it, now would they, bub?"

The whole room turned their heads to look at Rogue.

Rogue squealed and clapped her hands over her mouth as soon as the out-of-character sentence was out, blushing furiously.

"Rogue, are you feeling alright?" Jean asked, concerned.

"Ah-ah'm faine," Rogue said in a rush. "Ah just need some rest, is all."

Oro smiled.

"I understand, Rogue. Too little sleep can make you say the strangest things."

Rogue hurriedly adapted this as her alibi. 

"Ah stayed up real late last naight. D'yah think ah could go now, one e-Scott?"

Scott nodded.

"Go for as long as you need. No use stuffing all this into a tired mind. I can brief you when you're rested."

Rogue smiled thankfully and was quick to leave the head quarters.

She ran the stairs back to her room, slamming the door behind her and crawling onto her bed.

"Ohhhh…whai cahn't ah just keep mah big mouth shut? Dammnit!"

A knock at the door startled her out of her self-pity and filled her with more panic.

"Just ah minute!" She gasped, trying to dab at her eyes.

"It's me," Came Logan's muffled voice.

"Oh---come in then."

The door clicked open and he stepped in.

"God—that was a close one."

Rogue nodded, slowly wiping her eyes to no avail as more tears leaked out.

"You okay?"

She nodded again.

"How'd y' get out?"

"Bathroom break."

She said "Oh," and continued to wipe at her eyes.

He sat down on the end of her bed, making it creak with the added weight.

Rogue raised an eyebrow.

"Gee, shugah, how much d'yah weigh?"

He blushed, if that was possible for Logan.

"I—uh---well---it's my bones."

She still looked skeptical.

"Yah don't look all that big boned, shugah. An yah certainly ain't fat."

He sighed.

"Fine. I---got this metal---it's bonded on all of my bones."

Rogue looked shocked.

"What? Y' mean yer all metal insaide?!"

He grinned.

"Not quite. Jus' the bones, darlin'. The bed would go through the floor if'n I was solid metal."

She giggled at the thought.

"So---what kaind ahv metal is it? Steel?"

He shook his head.

"Adamantium."

She gasped.

Adamantium was something she had heard of often enough.

It was a virtually unbreakable metal, much, much, much more valuable than gold or platinum---highly sought, and something the brotherhood had always dreamed of owning.

"On yer bones?" She asked weakly.

He nodded sadly.

"Yer worth a fortune," She whispered.

This made him chuckle.

"Y' know, I never thought of it that way, but I guess yer right."

She eyed him with new interest.

"How'd yah get it theah, shugah?"

He sighed.

"It's---a long story. To make it short, the government fucked with me and had it done t' me in some crazy lab that experimented on mutants up north."

She winced.

"Did it hurt?"

He nodded.

"A lot," He whispered, remembering the metal cutting into his flesh, the searing as the boiling liquid was poured onto his bones.

"That's awful, shugah," 

She didn't know quite what to say about all of it, so she decided to change the topic.

"Whaih d'yah hate One Eye---Scott---so much?"

He shrugged.

"I dun really hate him, when I think 'bout it, but he gets on my nerves."

She read the real reason off of his face.

"An Jean's his girl, raight?" She pried, curious.

"Well, yeah, kinda," Logan said with a frown.

Rogue glanced at the clock.

"Oh mah, shugah! Y' bettah get back. Yah'll have a hahd enough taime as is, explainin what took yah so danged long in th' washroom!"

Logan grinned and stood up.

"I'll think o' somethin'. Probably blame it on Gumbo's cookin'."

Rogue giggled, knowing exactly what he meant.

'Gumbo' was Remy LeBeau, also known as Gambit, a Cajun man with auburn hair and eyes that where completely black except for red pupils.

His powers where charging objects with kinetic energy, thus making them explode, and many of the residents wondered if he didn't do that with his spicy meals as well.

"Well, ah'll see y', shugah."

He waved.

"See y' round."

                                                                                        + + + + +   

                                                                                          *****

Green water all around me. Can't breath. Hafta escape. No! Limbs tied! Gotta…

Ahhh! Stop! It hurts! I'm dyin'! No! No! Stop! Please! 

What the hell are they---gah---doin'—god---cutting me open---no---stop it---ugh---

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

                                                                        *****

"Rogue! Rogue! Wake up! It's just a dream!"

Logan whispered loudly, watching helplessly as Rogue fought off invisible assailants.

He knew this one well, having dreamt it many times himself----being submerged in strange green water, not being able to breath, while they cut into his flesh. 

He shuddered. 

Shouldn'ta touched her. Now she's got em too.

"Nooo!"

He bit his lip, wondering if that was what he sounded like in his sleep.

If so, he pitied the other residents of the mansion.

"Rogue. Rogue. Wake up. It's okay. It's just a dream. Wake up!"

He shook her shoulders, determined that she would not get to the next horrifying part of the dream.

"Gawd! No! Stop it! Stop it!"

Too late.

"Rogue! Wake up!" 

She started awake, breaking into loud sobs.

"W-wolverine?" She stammered.

Logan was angry at himself for letting her see the never-ending nightmares that claimed all his sleep.

"Yeah," He said softly.

"W-what ahre y-y' d-doin heah s-s-shug-gah?"

He sighed.

"You were screamin' pretty loud so I had t' come n check it out. Which dream was it?"

Rogue sniffled.

"It was a-awful. They h-had meh in some kinda w-watah, an t-they were c-c-utting into m-meh-"

"I know that one," He said, cutting her off. "It's the worst. The others ain't so bad, but that one takes the cake for bad nightmares."

She nodded, her tears soaking her quilt.

"Aw, c'mere," He said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her towards him.

He held her against his chest until the sobs quieted and her breathing steadied, then tipped her gently down to the bed and recovered her with blankets.

She's so beautiful, He thought, feeling a kind of longing inside him.

Wish she didn't have t' go through this.

He leaned down and kissed her bare forehead before leaving.

                                                                                      + + + + +  

                                                                                         -3-

"We saw Wolverine leaving your room last night, Rogue."

Oro commented before taking another bite of her sandwich.

"Yeah. Is there something going on between you two that we don't know about?"

Panic flooded through Rogue's veins once more as the interrogation began.

"Ah—no, there ain't, Jean. Y' should know that---aftah all, y' ahre th' psychic."

Jean smiled.

"But I don't poke around in people's heads without their permission. There's a code of ethics for my kinds of gifts, you know. Besides, the Professor would---well----what would he do?"

Jean chewed on her salad thoughtfully.

"He'd make you give Hank a haircut with a pair of nail clippers, that's what he'd do," Oro said with a grin.

The African American weather goddess loved her furry boy friend dearly, but even she gently teased him about his constant need of trimming.

The girls cackled at the thought of Xavier punishing Jean—who was, after all, his favorite student.

"Seriously, Rogue. Do you and Wolverine have something going on?"

Rogue stiffened slightly.

"Theah's absolutely nothing going on between the two of us. He was theah cause he heard meh screaming…ah was having a bad dream."

Oro grinned again.

"How romantic! He came to save you from the boogie man…"

Jean floated a rolled magazine to Oro's arm and slapped her hard, never missing a bite of her salad.

"Ow!" Oro cried, clutching her injured arm.

"Serves you right," Jean commented dryly. "What was the dream about, Rogue?"

Rogue thought fast.

"The first taime ah kissed a boy an absorbed him. T' was awful…"

Jean and Oro nodded sympathetically.

"I often have horrible dreams…every night and day was a bad day before I discovered the mansion," Jean said, her expression sober.

"Horrible. The voices…they were everywhere. I heard thoughts that weren't mine---good thoughts, bad ones, horrid ones, secret ones, people's bedroom thoughts…"

All three broke into grins at that.

"No, really, it was bad. In my history class, I had to listen to my teacher's thoughts about her dating life when she was bored, and several of my classmates where suicidal---or at least their thoughts were."

Oro shuddered.

"That's pretty bad---but try finding out you can control the weather. Now that's scary!"

 "Tell us!" Jean said keenly.

Oro smiled and assumed her goddess voice—a strong, commanding tone that had made whole armies tremble before her feet.

"I was a woman of thirteen years when our village was attacked by a band of barbarian raiders. They came in, riding on magnificent barb horses descended from purebred Arabians. They began to destroy our huts and kill our villagers, ruthlessly slicing off heads and setting fire to all our hard work. My adopted mother told me to take my baby sister (which was really my foster sister) and run to the nearest village for help."

She paused for a breath.

"Only a short distance from my home, a gang of unhorsed raiders surrounded me with spears and knives, telling me to stay still or they would slay me like a mere boar. Of course, I knew they would do that anyways, so I screamed as loud as my voice would go."

A tear trickled down her dark cheek.

"They took Aba from me and made me watch as they drove a spear through her little heart."

The two other girls gasped.

"That's so evil," Rogue said angrily. 

Jean nodded, her green eyes filling with sympathetic tears.

"So what happened next?" She asked finally, dabbing at her eyes.

"Well," Oro said, as though trying to recall the events that where so clear and fresh in her mind.

"The shock of such a barbaric act faded in me and a fury built. Every inch of me began to tingle---my fingers, toes, nose---everything. The power grew within me. It was then I could feel the elements---the wind, ripping across the sand like a piece of my soul, the clouds growing dark with my anger, the electricity within them like an extension of my wrath. I stretched out my arm, and with one bolt I killed them all, every one of them, their lives in exchange of my family's and my neighbors'."

Rogue and Jean leaned back, digesting the story.

They felt a new kind of awe for their friend, the weather goddess Storm.

"That was so well told, Oro," Jean said with admiration.

"Thank you," Oro said, taking a bite of her abandoned sandwich with a smile.

"Now, I believe the most generous Scott put us down for ten laps around the track. Shall we?"

"Let's go," Jean said, helping her friends up.

                                                                                        + + + + +  


	5. Chapter 5

                                                                                        + + + + +  

"Haih," Rogue said as Logan entered the kitchen, looking rumpled and disoriented.

 "What're y' doin' up?" He snapped angrily.

Rogue was taken back by this statement, which clearly told her that she wasn't wanted here.

"Ah-ah couldn't sleep—ah'll go…"

He ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Nah, 's okay. I'll only be a minute anyhoo."

He shuffled to the fridge.

"What're y' doing up yahself, shugah?"

"Uh—couldn't sleep neither."

Rogue sensed a lie in his words, but she let it go.

"Oh," She said, watching him lean into the fridge and rummage around, and telling herself not to notice how tanned and muscular he was.

It was hard work.

She suddenly became aware that he had stopped and was leaning against the open fridge with a broad smirk on his face.

"Y' checkin' out my ass?"

She blushed furiously.

"Well-ah—yeah---ah mean no, ahv course not!"

He chuckled.

"Y' sound a lil undecided there, darlin'."

She scowled.

"Y' ain't the most stick-with-it person, eithah. Couldn't make up yer maind whethah t' kill meh or not?"

Logan looked hurt.

"I---Rogue---I didn't---wasn't thinkin'---I---"

Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Y' nevah think, shugah. That's th' problem. Y' act on yer instincts."

He growled.

"Didn't y' ever?"

Rogue snatched a can of soda from the fridge.

"Evah what?"

He watched as she popped the tab and took a sip.

"Ever acted on yer instincts."

Rogue put down the can and bit her lip in thought.

"Ah don't think so," She said finally.

Logan swallowed noisily as he watched her tilt her head to take another drink, admiring the curves of her throat and wishing he could trace it with his fingertips.

"Ah tend t' think befoah ah do thangs. Laike, in ah faight, ah don't go into ah blaind rage an kill everahy living thang around me. Y' were so out of it, y' nearlahy downed Caiklops on ouah last dangah room practice."

Logan grinned.

"That was on purpose, darlin."

Rogue shrugged.

"Still, y' follow y' instincts too much. Foah example---if y' _had  _killed Caike, we'd be leadahless! Then what? Who would lead us? Y' hafta think about th' consequences of yoah actions, Wolverine."

Logan nodded slowly, too busy staring at the cleavage that her low-cut shirt didn't cover to pay attention 

"Mah eyes ahre eight inches _north _of theah, shugah."

He snapped out of his stupor and flushed slightly.

"Uh—yeah—sorry---y' were sayin'?"

Rogue shook her head.

"Men. Yah're all th' same. Onlahy enough blood t' run one end at ah taime."

Logan was puzzled until he noticed the telltale bulge in his pants.

"Oh—gee---er---I---gotta go---" He stammered, backing away in jerky steps until he reached the door.

"G'naight, shugah," Rogue said with a grin as his running footsteps echoed and faded in the marble-tiled corridor that led to the front doors.

                                                                                 + + + + +  

The confused Wolverine didn't stop running until he reached his secret spot, a small grassy knoll in the middle of the thick surrounding woods.

He sunk to his knees and held his head in his hands, emitting snarls and deep growls as he fought the raging animal within him.

"No," He gasped in between, pulling at his hair.

_Yes, _the wolverine demanded in some way or another.

"Not—gonna---snarl---let you----"

Logan pawed at his face helplessly.

"No----GRRRR----hurt---my friends----"

The claws popped out with a loud * **snikt ***.

"No---No---**NO**!" Logan shouted, stabbing the earth with each 'no' for emphasis.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as his control over the enraged being called Wolverine slipped another notch, bringing him closer and closer to a bloody massacre.

"**FUCK!" He roared, slashing a nearby tree stump in frustration.**

"Stop----leave me---"

He brought his claws to his stomach and pushed them in, watching rivers of blood burst from the broken skin to run down his torso, his shirt turning a stained red.

"**GRRR!" The animal yelped, retreating a notch as the pain wracked its body.**

Logan bit his lip and retracted his claws, watching the wounds disappear from his torso and knuckles as though they had never been, leaving only his red-stained shirt and skin to prove there had ever been an injury.

"Sucker," He whispered under his breath as he popped another set of claws.

Moments later, his clothes and the ground below were drenched with blood that seeped from the momentary gashes that helped him rein in the wolverine.

He finally found himself winning, and made a last agonizing stab at his chest to completely drive away the dangerous being that lived in him.

The animal whimpered in pain, then vaporized, leaving him alone on the hilltop, exhausted, with a sea of red blood and a stiff stained shirt.

                                                                                              + + + + +

Rogue finished her drink and tossed the can into the recycling bin.

_Ah've nevah seen anahybody so embarrassed befoah, _She thought with a grin, recalling his beet-red face when he realized what she was talking about.

She moved to the fridge and dug out the ingredients for a ham sandwich, and, suddenly remembering about the other inhabitants of the mansion that were currently sleeping, laid the things down gently on the fancy marble countertop.

She had just finished buttering the bread when a pain-filled howl broke the silence, startling her from her thoughts and making her drop the knife.

"What th' heck was that?" She wondered aloud as she walked to the kitchenette's window and pushed aside the frilly curtain.

She tried to pierce the black void that met her vision, but she couldn't make out much beyond the three feet of light that flooded out of the kitchen.

Curiosity sparked, she tip toed into the hallway and, pausing at the door to slip on a pair of flip flops, opened the door quietly and ventured out into the bleak darkness.

"Hello?" She called softly.

No one answered, so she took a few more cautious steps.

Another howl cut through the silence with a startling clarity, no walls to muffle the sound out in the cool, crisp evening air.

She took off in the direction that she thought was the source of the sound, tensed and ready for someone or something to attack her.

"Is anybodahy out heah? Hello? Who's theah?" She asked, her voice trembling with instinctive fear.

Hearing nothing, she stepped into the forest, feeling her way slowly with her hands until she reached a small area where the moonlight seeped in.

She blinked at the sudden change, her eyes aching as they took in the seemingly bright light that gave everything a bluish hue.

Her heart started as she made out a dark silhouette on the small hill, not twenty meters away.

The figure raised its head at the moon and let out another long, sad, piercing wail that sent shivers down her spine, making her feel as though she were intruding on some secret ritual.

"Hello?" She asked timidly, her mouth suddenly dry.

The head of the figure whipped in her direction.

"What're y' doin' here?" Said the dark figure sharply.

Rogue's eyes finally adjusted, and she vaguely was able to make out Logan's features.

"Logan? Is that you, shugah?"

The feral mutant growled.

"Y' shouldn't be here."

Rogue took another small step towards him.

"Ah---ah heard---noises---an ah jus' come t' check them out. Ah'm sorrahy."

Logan didn't answer, looking sadly at the pale moon.

"It's ah naice naight," Rogue said, feeling an urgent need to fill the silence.

"Mmph." He grunted.

Rogue moved closer and sat down beside him on the dew-filled grass.

"Ew---this is wet! What is---oh mah!"

She dipped her fingers into the grass and raised them to her face.

"Is this---is this blood, shugah?"

Logan remained quiet, never looking away from the serene sky.

"Shugah! Yah're covahed in it! What happened t' y'?" 

Rogue moved over and stuck one bare finger onto his ripped shirt.

"How'd this happen?" She asked, bewildered.

"It was gettin' loose." 

She almost started at the sound of his voice.

"What was getting loose, shugah?"

He turned to her finally, and she was surprised to see the wet trails on his face.

"It. Him. Wolverine."

Rogue looked puzzled.

"Whatcha mean, shugah? Ah thought y' was Wolverine."

He shook his head.

"So what is th' wolverine then, 'zactly?"

Logan was so long in answering that Rogue thought he hadn't heard.

"It's hard t' explain," He said after a while. 

"Try." Rogue said.

He sighed.

"Well---no one's quite sure. Not even Chuck 'n Jean. But 's kinda like schizophrenia, I guess. 'S a second side---takes over when it's too much."

Rogue nodded, processing the information with an interested look.

"So whaih is he so bad? Whaih all th' blood?"

Logan frowned.

"I---you'll go away if I tell y', promise?"

Rogue shook her head.

"Ah don't care how bad it is, it's not laike y' _want _to hurt anyone."

Logan shrugged.

"Still, it's too dangerous. Y' gotta go, I might hurtcha."

He cleared his throat.

"I've---lost it----a couple o' times before. When I get like that I'm real bad---"

Rogue patted his arm.

"Y' ain't bad, shugah."

He lowered his voice.

"Rogue, y' dunno how many people I've killed," He said sadly.

"How many?" She asked, mimicking his whisper.

"Dozens," He said. "Maybe hundreds."

Rogue frowned.

"But laike y' said, it wasn't _you _doing that. It was that---thing."

"Still," He said, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Was my claws."

Rogue felt her heart break at the pitiful expression on his face.

"Aww, come heah shugah," She said, putting her arms around him and cuddling his head with her hand.

"Yah're not ah bad person at ahwl. Y' helped me, y' let me control mah powahs so ah kin touch."

Logan sniffled and locked his arms around her waist.

"That's not much," He said miserably.

"Yeah it is," She said soothingly, stroking his hair gently.

"No one else could do it.  Chu---th' professah traihd, Jean traihd, everyone in th' 'hood traihd, too, if not foah mah sake. Y' did it t' make meh happy, foah meh, an that's whaih yah're not bad, shugah."

He heaved a sigh that sounded like a half sob.

"But---I hurtcha, I only paid back fer th' damage I did yah."

She moved her hands to his back and squeezed him to her tightly.

"Shugah, everyone's afraid t' touch meh. Y' were so brave---doesn't mattah watcha did. No bodahy---no bodahy, not even Jean, or Caike, or th' Professah, would do that for meh, regardless if they caused it. They'd be too afraid. Yah're the onlahy one, shugah."

Logan growled and pulled back.

"Those people are crazy! Yer too good for em, Rogue. They should be ashamed. I'd give my life fer yers anytime—yer way worth it."

Rogue's bottom lip trembled.

"No bodahy's evah cahed befoah, shugah," She whispered, her voice thick with unshed tears. 

"Yah're th' onlahy one. Ah don't know how t' thank yah."

She hugged him again, laying her face against his blood soaked chest as her eyes spilled over.

"Don't need t'," He said, patting her back. "'S what anybody should do."

They both leaned back as they became aware of the hard lump growing between them.

"Ah…" Rogue said, unsure of what to say.

"I'll go," Logan said quickly, preparing to get up.

"No—" Rogue protested, scrambling to her knees.

She caught his gaze, and found that she was losing herself in his deep black eyes.

_They seem so sad, _She thought distantly. _So…old yet young._

"Rogue," He said softly. "Get outta here."

Rogue heard the words, but saw the contradicting plea in his face, begging her to stay with him.

"No," She whispered.

"I dunno what I'll do if y' stay, darlin'." He said with a small frown.

"It's okay," Rogue said, stroking his face lightly with her fingertips.

"Whatevah happens, happens."

Logan took her hand gently in his and guided it down to the bulge between his legs, his eyes never leaving hers as they asked her to trust him.

Rogue stiffened slightly, but her hand remained as she tried to battle her reflexive urge to push him away from her and run back to the mansion.

Logan held his breath unconsciously, seeing the agonizing moment of indecision in her gaze.

He saw her bite her lip and flick her eyes down to where her hand rested on him, could nearly hear her inner fight against her instincts.

_I'm scarin' her, _He thought nervously. _Shouldn'ta done this._

They had sat, frozen in that position for almost a minute by now, though it seemed years to them both.

Suddenly he felt her hand move slightly, and the fear made his heart pound noisily in his chest as he contemplated the many possible implications of the movement.

_She's gonna run, _He thought, a kind of disappointment taking over his emotions.

 Rogue withdrew her hand slowly, apology heavy in her eyes.

"Ah---" She said. "Ah'm sorrahy. A-ah should go back t' bed."

He nodded and watched her get up, waiting until she was out of sight before wiping his eyes.

                                                                                   + + + + +


	6. Chapter 6

                                                                                   + + + + +

                                                                                      - 4 -

"People, listen up. The reason you were called here is because we have a situation."

Rogue perked her ears as Scott said these words, feeling more excited than she had in days.

"What happened? Y' got somethin' in yer eye an y' want us t' get it out fer yah, _Cyclops? _"

She grinned until she remembered who had spoken.

"Haha, very funny, _Wolverine_, but no, that's not the situation." Scott said with a sarcastic smile.

"Now anyone else want to crack jokes and let the world fall apart at the seams?"

Rogue bit back a comment that had clearly come from her absorbed part of the feral mutant sitting across the steel-coated room.

"Nobody? Good. Let's get on with it then."

Scott put his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth.

"Magneto's back," He said, stopping suddenly.

The whole room gasped as Scott's words impacted on them.

"Crap," Jean said, glancing over at Wolverine.

"Goddess," Oro said, sitting back in her chair and putting a hand to her heart.

"This is most terrible and unwelcome news," The blue furred mutant codenamed Beast but more commonly known as Hank commented.

Rogue noticed a younger boy with sandy blond hair sitting as though frozen in the corner of the room, and tried to remember his name.

_Bobby, ah think it was, _She thought. _Goes baih Iceman ah recall._

He looked too scared to move.

"Take it easy," Scott said, waving his hands for emphasis.

"We've handled this before, I'm sure we'll be fine. Now, do you think you could handle getting your instructions, X-men?"

Rogue raised her hand.

"Yes, Rogue?" Scott said, looking in her direction.

"Whaih's everyone so darned scahed of Magneto?" She asked almost angrily.

"Don't you **know **who Magneto **is**?!" Bobby gasped, clutching the arms of his chair.

"Ahv course ah do!" Rogue snapped. "It's just---"

She stood up.

"Lookitcha! Yah're all mutants, y' all gawt these incredible powahs, an yah're laike a bunch ahv chickens if ah even whispah th' M word! What's up with yah?"

She moved to stand beside Scott.

"Ah team ahv us should be able t' take out one old coot! Who cahres if he's th' 'Master of Magnetism'? We can beat him down!"

She punched her fist into her hand.

"If yah're ahwl too lillahy-livahed t' go on this mission, ah'll do it mahself! Mystique taught me everythang ah'd evah need t' know. Ah could take down Sabahtooth with mah training! So ahre y' gonna help meh or not?"

The room stilled, and Rogue felt anger rising in her as everyone remained seated.

Finally, a chair creaked and she saw Logan stand up.

"I'm goin' with her," He said, offering her a proud, confident look.

"Y' gonna be a bunch o' cowards n let one girl take on that fucker?"

As one, Oro and Jean slowly rose.

"We'll come," Jean said, speaking for them both as she read Oro's mind with her telepathy.

"I shall be with you all the way, Rogue," Oro said, her milky white eyes filled with admiration for the young southern mutant.

Hank stood up.

"I am an honorable fellow. I go where Ororo goes. You can count on me, Rogue."

Rogue smiled appreciatively at him, then glared at the last four X-men that remained seated in their chairs.

"Anyone else?" She asked, directing her piercing gaze on the Russian Man they called Colossus.

He hung his head, then stood up.

"I will accompany you, Rogue."

She nodded and turned to Gambit.

"Y' as good as y' say y' ahre, shugah? Or 's it all talk, no action?"

Gambit picked up his Bo staff and stood up, his head held high.

"Remy be with you every step ov da way, chere," He said in his Cajun accent.

"Me too, _Herr _Rogue"*** {CHECK THIS LATER} **The strange, blue furred, three-fingered two-toed teleporting mutant known as Nightcrawler said, jumping onto the top of the empty chair in front of him.

That left only Bobby, who was gazing miserably at his hands.

"Bobby?" Rogue asked softly, the hard glare softening as she remembered what Jean and Oro had told her of his last encounters with Magneto that had scarred him for life.

"Y' won't be alone, shugah. We'll ahwl be theah. Ah won't letcha get hurt. Will y' join us?"

He heaved a small sigh and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Thanks, Bobby," Rogue said with a smile.

"Ah guess that's ahwl ahv us---oh wait, Caike, ahre y' comin too?"

The room tittered with laughter as they realized their leader hadn't been invited yet.

"Of course," Scott said, a little offended at being left out.

"Now, everyone sit down and I'll tell you the plan."

As Rogue moved back towards her chair, he pulled her aside.

"Thanks, Rogue," Scott said in a low tone.

"No prob, Caike," Rogue said sweetly, ignoring the little stab of fear of what she had just gotten herself into.

                                                                                                  + + + + +   

Rogue clipped her seatbelt into place and leaned back in her seat.

She was currently aboard the X-men's jet, the _Blackbird_, which was being piloted by the team leader Cyclops, better known as everyone's favorite Scott Summers, or to a particular person as Scooter and One-Eye.

The mentioned person sat down beside her and pulled his seatbelt over his torso and pushed it with a clink into the reciprocal.

"That was really somethin', back there, darlin'. I'm real proud o' yah."

Rogue smiled politely, trying to push down the images from the night on the hill.

"Thank yeh," She said, looking out the window.

"Uh----I kinda wanted t' tell yeh—well---I'm sorry for—for back there, y' know,"

Rogue looked down.

"It's okay, shugah," She said softly. "Ah told y'---what happens, happens. Wasn't yah're fault."

He grimaced.

"No. Really. I want it t' be like 't was before---that. I don't want it t' be all weird 'tween us now."

 Rogue glanced at him to see how serious he was, and was surprised to see that his eyes were wide open with sincerity, instead of squinting like they usually were.

"Okay. Ah'll---ah'll traihy---'t was jus' so big ah step, shugah. Ah'm not readahy."

He nodded.

"I understand, darlin'. I won't never do it again."

She grinned and made up with him, ignoring the strange feeling of disappointment at his promise.

"So, y' think we kin fry Magneto?"

Rogue scoffed.

"Ahv course! Yah're one ahv th' most powerful mutants alaive, shugah! How can y' even ask that?"

Logan smiled grimly.

"Metal bones, darlin', metal bones. I'm like a puppet fer him."

Rogue said "Oh," very softly, her heart constricting as she considered what an evil madman with that kind of power could do to Logan.

"Yeah," He agreed softly, his eyes somewhat vague.

"Y' gonna be okay? Y' didn't hafta come, y'know."

Logan snorted.

"Course I hadta. I can't jus' let you guys take 'im on alone. 'Sides, I gotta personal score t' settle with 'im."

Rogue raised her eyebrows.

"Personal scoah, shugah?"

Logan looked away.

"Uh---yeah. He---uh---did somethin' t' me that I ain't paid 'im back fer yet."

Seeing the subject was touchy, she let it drop.

"Whaih is Bobby so scahed about faighting the big M?"

 Logan shook his head.

"The last time was real bad. Poor kid nearly pissed in his pants when good ol' magnet-boy was close t' doin' Chuck in fer good."

Rogue look surprised.

"Whaih didn't Chu-th' professah jus' mess Magneto's maind up?"

Logan sighed.

"Magneto has a thought-proof helmet, darlin'. No one kin get inside his head when he's wearin' it."

Rogue digested this.

"Thought-proof? He must be pretty stupahd, t' block his thinking laike that."

Logan grinned.

"Yeah.  But he's not stupid 'nuff t' take it off."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, having run out of conversation to fill the gap.

"Logan, what went on b'tween y' an Jean?"

The said Logan stiffened in his seat.

"Uh—nothin' much. Just one night, that was it."

Rogue's eyes widened.

"Y' got _laid?_ _You _an _her_? Well, colah me pink!"

Logan shrugged.

"'T was jus' a short thin', nothin' like a relationship or somethin'. Why y' so shocked?"

Rogue blew a strand of white hair off of her face.

"Well, shugah, it's jus' ah nevah pictured y' an Jean getting it on. She laikes guys more laike Scott an so."

Logan grinned.

"Who'd y' picture me gettin' it on with, darlin'?"

Rogue began to stammer.

"W-well ah—yah're jus'---m-m---no one—"

He brushed aside a stray lock of hair that had fallen over her eyes.

"No one? Didn' last night teach y' nothin'?"

Rogue inched away on her seat.

"Oh come _on, _Rogue, I was only jokin'! I _meant _what I told yah!"

Rogue tittered nervously and settled back into her seat.

"Hey, Rogue!"

She turned to see Oro and Jean heading in her direction.

"I wanted to tell you how much I admire you. You're so much stronger than me--facing Magneto---You go girl!"

Rogue smiled at the redheaded telepathic/telekinetic codenamed Marvel Girl.

"I also wanted to express my admiration, Rogue. Your courage and strength of character is very admirable."

Oro patted her southern friend on the shoulder, then lifted one of the several wooden amulets hanging around her dark, graceful neck.

"Here, my friend. I want you to have this."

She pressed the crumpled necklace into the young mutant's hand.

"Wha' is it?" Rogue asked, holding it up to her emerald eyes.

"It is my good luck charm, on which many spells of good will were cast on it by a African Priest of the Highest Order, or so I was told."

Rogue grinned at her friend.

"Thank yah, Oro.  Ah'm sure it'll help me win."

Jean spared a glance at Rogue's feral companion.

"What's _he _doing here?" She asked the southern mutant with a definite tone of distaste.

Logan looked down.

"He's mah friend, Jean." Rogue said, giving the said Logan a small smile of reassurance.

"Not the best choice of company," Oro sniffed with disapproval.

"He's not bad!" Rogue said defensively.

"Don't get us wrong, Rogue. We're just looking out for you."

The exasperated southerner gave the two older girls a patient smile.

"Ah'm sure y'are, shugah. But ah know what ah'm doing heah."

Jean opened her mouth to protest.

"Jean! Oro! Up front! **Now!**"

The redhead shut her mouth with a slightly annoyed look, which quickly disappeared.

"Let's go then, Oro. See you later, Rogue, and again, the best of luck!"

With one last sharp glare at Wolverine, Jean turned and left, Oro trailing.

"Don't let them getcha down, shugah," Rogue said, seeing Logan's numb look.

"They're right, y'know. Y' shouldn't be 'round me."

He sighed and stood up.

"Good luck with Magneto, kid. Yer gonna need it."

Rogue nodded grimly and looked straight ahead.

                                                                                             + + + + +   


	7. Chapter 7

                                                                                             + + + + +   

"Okay, people, you know what to do. Split up and get at it!" 

Scott had obviously slipped into his 'leader-mode', judging by the sharp and commanding tone of his voice.

"Yes, sir!" Jean yelled back jokingly as she used her powers to telekinetically 'fly' out of the _Blackbird_.

Oro was close behind, manipulating the winds to stay aloft.

"Remy wish you de best ov de good luck, chere!" The Cajun thief Gambit said to Rogue before taking off after the other two X-women, trench coat flying.

Bobby and Colossus were quick to follow, wishing to be as far from 'the doomed team' (as Bobby had put it) as was physically possible.

That left the four of the 'doomed team'---Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, and of course—Rogue.

They stood for a moment in an uncomfortable silence, hands in their pockets as they looked at each other, unconsciously remembering their teammate's faces in case one of them should not make it back.

"Alright, then," Scott said, clearing his throat. "You all know the plan?"

Logan snorted.

"Why y' keep askin' that? Don' know it yerself? Lookin' fer some hints, maybe?"

Scott scowled.

"Well, let's say I didn't," He said with a hard glare at Wolverine. "Could you recite it for me?"

"Sure. You shut up n we bust Magnet's party in our PJ's. Did I get it right?"

Rogue smacked Logan on the arm.

"Be seriouhs, y' big goof!" She said with a grin.

Scott smirked and made a sound similar to a whip being cracked.

"Hey, bub, don't push yer luck. I ain't gone soft yet." Logan said, holding up his fist threateningly and popping the middle claw.

Scott rolled his eyes.

"Watch it—y' might burn yer brains, _Cyclops. _Oh—wait—y' ain't got none. My mistake."

Rogue shoved Logan.

"What the hell d'yah guys think we're doing?! We came heah t' faight _Magneto,_ not _each othah!_" 

"Sorry," They mumbled simultaneously, suddenly remembering what the young mutant would be facing on her own in but a few hours, maybe minutes.

"Okay. Nightcrawler and I will take the East/South patrol, you two take North/West. Meet back here each hour until we locate Magneto's _exact _location. Split up!"

The 'doomed team' dissolved into two smaller groups and started walking in the opposite directions, each wondering if they would make it back alive.

                                                                                       + + + + +  

"Whaih'd Scott hafta give us th' allahy patrohl?"  Rogue grumbled as she stumbled over an old cardboard box in the pitch-black of the back street.

"I dunno," Logan said, reaching out an arm to steady her. 

"Think it has somethin' t' do with what I said?"

Rogue snorted.

"Moah than laikly, shugah."

She sniffled.

"What's wrong?" Logan asked, hearing this.

"Nothing," She lied. "Ah'm jus' tiahed, is all."

A moment later she burst into tears and sunk to her knees.

"Who am ah kidding?" She sobbed, nearly hysterical.

"What's wrong, darlin'?" He asked, putting an arm around her shoulders. 

"Its…" Rogue said, wiping her nose. "Yah're not th' onlahy one who has t' pay Magneto back, shugah."

Logan raised his eyebrows.

"What'd he do t' you?"

"Not him," Rogue gasped between heavy breaths. "What he let happen."

Logan felt a stab of cold in his chest at her tone.

"What'd th' old fucker let happen, darlin'?"

She shuddered.

"It's too bad t' tell yah," Rogue said, wiping her nose.

"Tell me." 

She sighed.

"Y'know how th' Professah says that 'traumatic events can bring on ouah mutations earlahy?" Ah was…onlahy t-ten when that event happened. Onlahy ten! It still haunts meh, everahy naight."

The southern mutant paused for breath.

"Sabahtooth was considering doing ah job foah th' 'hood… he saw meh one taime, when they was training th' new recruits. Magneto…h-he caught th' interest…an they made ah deal."

Logan's grip on her shoulder tightened.

"Meh in exchange foah his services," She whispered, her throat tight. "Mah mutation manifested on th' third naight that Sabahtooth had me, an ah was able t' knock him out an run away, but ah can never foahget that awful feeling of being foahced…"

Logan growled low.

"That fucker," He snarled. "Jus' wait till I get my hands on 'im…"

"Leave some foah meh, shugah," Rogue said with a grim smile.

"Ah wanna pound th' crap outta Magneto tonaight. He's done enough bad."

Logan nodded and drew her into a comforting hug.

"I won't let anythin' like that ever happen t' yah again, darlin'," He whispered into her hair.

Rogue felt the mood shift suddenly, and she leaned back.

"Ah'm sorrahy," She mumbled, standing up.

"Don't be. It ain't yer fault. We're jus' two coulda-bins who met at th' wrong place at th' wrong time."

She nodded and heaved a sigh.

"Well, let's keep going, shugah." She said.

                                                                                           + + + + +   


	8. Chapter 8

                                                                                           + + + + +   

Logan sighed in frustration as another live scent died in his nose.

"Fuckin' hell!" He mumbled, inhaling rapidly in attempt to catch the cooling scent trail with his hyper-keen mutated senses.

"Died again?" Rogue asked sympathetically.

Logan nodded and inhaled deeply.

"Wait…there 't is 'gain---headed thata ways…"

He took a few strides closer to a river situated not 10 yards away from them.

"And…dammnit! Lost it again."

Rogue frowned and stepped up beside Logan.

"Shugah…" She said, pointing at the muddy ground.

"Huh?" Logan said, staring at her with raised eyebrows.

"Look at th' ground."

Logan looked dumbly at the ground for a second.

"What'm I s'posed t' be lookin' at, darlin'?"

Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Look _closely_, Logan. What does that remaind y' ahv?"

Logan shrugged.

"A bit o' mashed mud. Did I get it right?"

Rogue grinned.

"Logan, yah're missing th' point! It's a _footprint, _dummy."

Logan looked at the ground again with an incredulous look.

"Holy shit! I missed that!"

Rogue giggled.

"Too busy showing off and being drahmatic t' notice the real clues, shugah?"

Logan growled slightly and sank to his knees, inhaling deeply.

"Magneto," He snarled.

Rogue's grin widened and she shook her head.

"Well, who did yah think it'd be, shugah? Waldo, maybe?"

Logan's face flushed slightly.

"Look, jus' forget 'bout me bein' stupid fer a fuckin' second an concentrate at th' job at hand, eh darlin'?"

Rogue shrugged and sank down beside him.

"So wheah did Magneto go, shugah?"

Logan found himself admiring her finely chiseled nose, the way it was neither too obtrusive nor too small—just perfect, sitting in nicely with her other features.

"**Logan!**" Rogue said, exasperated.

"Uh---huh?"

Rogue put her hands on her hips.

"Ah've been traihyn t' reach yah fer two minutes now, shugah! Wheah did yah go?"

Logan felt the blood rush to his face.

"I—er---what was that, darlin'?"

Rogue rolled her eyes for the second time that night.

"Logan, ah asked wheah Magneto went to…but then y' disappeahed somewheahs an ah thought y' weahn't gonna come back!" 

Logan swallowed.

"I—sorry. Let's jus' move on, can we?"

Rogue sighed and let the topic drop.

After a quick survey with his nose, Logan determined that their target had taken to the air, utilizing the magnetic elements around him to push away from the earth and his hunters.

"Not here no more," Logan said as he moved in the direction they had come from.

Rogue got up and followed after the slightly feral mutant, her eyebrows scrunched together in a expression of puzzled disbelief.

"Logan…what's wrong?" She asked, reaching out a hand and putting it on in his shoulder.

He jumped slightly at the contact.

"Nothin'."

Rogue frowned.

"Yes theah is, shugah. Y' tell me---ah told y' what was wrong---now it's yah're turn."

Logan closed his eyes.

"No. Y' wouldn't like it."

Rogue snorted.

"Traihy meh," She said saucily as she blew a strand of white hair out of her face.

Logan looked back at her to assess her mood, using his keen senses to smell and judged how she felt at that moment---was she thinking what he was or not?

Only one way to find out…

He covered the ground between them quickly and scooped her up in his arms.

"Okay," He whispered, pulling her head and mouth towards his.

They stayed that way for a long moment, connected to each other through their lips and tongues, their eyes closed and their hearts open.

Finally Logan pulled back.

"I told y' thatcha wouldn't like it," He whispered, feeling suddenly that he was speaking too loud.

Rogue licked her lips and looked down, obviously trying to sort out what had just happened to her in her skunk-striped head.

"Ah laiked it," She said after a while, blinking her emerald green eyes.

Logan hugged her close.

"I'm glad," He said, still speaking with low tones.

"What happens next?" Rogue asked, nestling her head into his chest.

Logan stroked her hair thoughtfully.

"Good question. If 't were anyone but y', I'd say more foolin' around an maybe a roll on th' bank there. Since 't's y', though, I think I'm gonna kiss yeh again an then I'm just gonna letcha think 'bout it fer a while. Sides, we're on a One-eye high ass mission."

He leaned in and applied his lips softly to hers, slowly slipping in his tongue and exploring part of her mouth.

Rogue closed her eyes and swallowed gently, feeling as though he had melted in and become an extension of her own body.

After what seemed an eternity, but was in reality about five minutes, Logan leaned back and looked her in the eyes once more.

"C'mon, let's go off Magnet. Y' think 'bout what jus' happened an make up yer mind, okay, darlin'?"

Rogue nodded weakly and followed him into the night.

                                                                                         + + + + +


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note:  YIPES! I'm really sorry I haven't updated lately…it's just I have to transfer the files from my computer to my mom's…mine is offline right now X.X

My apologies, I'll try to update more often! 

PS my email is lilrogue_warrior@hotmail.com if you want to get in touch with me---my messenger handles are as follows:

AIM: MaybeItzMaple

MSN: lilrogue_warrior@hotmail.com

Please get in touch, I love meeting fans and talking with people about these stories!

Thanks for sticking through, and have a very very merry X-mas! ~ ^-^

                                                                         ~1LiLRoGuE/KaTe~

+ + + + + 

The unfamiliar crackle of Rogue's X communicator filled the air.

"Cyclops to Rogue…Rogue, what is your position?"

Rogue stared at the circle on her chest, unsure of how to respond.

"Here," Logan grumbled, pressing the round patch for her.

Rogue blushed furiously and pushed his fingers away from her breast.

"Ummm…Rogue t' Caiklops? We'ah at…"

Rogue paused, trying to think of a way to describe their location.  
"Oliver Clothesoff t' Hugh Jass. We're seein' some moon an we ain't happy!"

Rogue snorted loudly as Logan flashed her a smirk.

The radio filled with a dry laugh.

"Very funny, _Wolverine, _but I was hoping you could be serious for a change. I guess I was wrong."

Wolverine looked annoyed.

"I got some advice fer yeh, Scooter. Why doncha practice safe sex an go fuck yerself?" 

Rogue giggled as she heard a loud guffaw at the other end.

"Wolverine, I'm at my last straw with you. If you don't piss off and pay attention to the mission, I'm going to talk to the professor about you and Rogue spending * so * much time together, Logan! You _do _know that it's illegal for an adult to 'fool around' with a teenager, don't you?"

Logan sneered.

"That th' best y' got, Scooter?" He asked.

Rogue shook her head frantically and raised a finger to her lips.

"Caiklops, we'ah at some kaind ahv ah rivah---theah's no bridge across it in saight---an we think that Magneto flew ovah it. We'ah heading back t' th' meeting point---we'ah gonna have t' move our tahget area."

Rogue heard Cyclops's appreciative sigh.

"Thank you, Rogue. At least _some _of us on this team know when to draw the line. Cyclops out."

The radio made another crackling sound as the transmission ended.

"What th' hell was that, eh?" Logan asked Rogue with an incredulous look.

Rogue sniffed angrily.

"D' yah really wanna draw attention t' th' fact that we _do _spend so much taime t'getha, shugah? Ah mean, it's ahlraight if yah're ahlraight with them knowing watcha did---stabbing meh an ahwl."

Logan let out a breath.

"Sorry," He said, hanging his head with a hurt look.

Rogue's frown softened.

"Ah already forgave yah, shugah," She said, wrapping her arms around him and snuggling her head to his chest.

"Ah just don't know if they would do th' same."

Logan nestled his head into her hair.

"Thanks," He mumbled, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

Rogue leaned closer, her knees feeling slightly weak as she felt his warm mouth slowly and deliberately move up her neck to her trembling lips.

"Mmph," She said gently as his tongue slipped in to touch hers.

"Y' know, I think I'm---" Logan started, only to be cut off by a telepathic cry.

_/// Marvel girl to X-men! I require immediate assistance! Beast and Colossus are down, and Storm is about to fall! ///_

Logan groaned and gave Rogue an extra squeeze before loosening his arms.

"We gotta go, darlin'. Jeanie needs a bit o' help, 't seems."

Rogue nodded and kissed him one last time before slipping back and heading towards Jean's signal.

                                                                                         + + + + +   

+ + + + +  

Jean watched in horror as Magneto deflected thunderbolt after thunderbolt back towards its mistress, the goddess of the elements---Storm.

The weather witch had worked herself into a fury, but even her rage wasn't enough to make Magneto see reason and surrender.

The master of magnetism was quickly gaining the upper hand---and there were few X-men left.

It was time to call in Rogue.

Marvel Girl put her hands to her temples and let out a desperate telepathic cry, its feeling of struggle and loss deeply ingraining itself on all recipients.

She watched with wide eyes as Storm fell from the sky, at the last moment clearing her head enough to stop her best friend's fall with a strong telekinetic thought.

She gently eased the fallen X-woman to the ground and stood up.

"Looks like its just you and me, boys," She said grimly to the last two X-men---Bobby and Remy.

Remy nodded and sent out another charged card in hopes of catching the flying madman---watching with acceptance as Magneto swept a sheet of metal in front of it.

The card bounced off and boomeranged back to earth.

Remy shouted something nasty in french, leaping away from the area as it exploded into a flurry of sparks and flaming shrapnel.

Jean closed her eyes and used her powers to create a force field---sealing her and the two other x-men in a protective bubble that temporarily blocked them from Magneto's furious metallic attack.

"Hurry," She said, gritting her teeth with effort.

"I can't hold out much---longer! Make a plan----"

Remy looked up at the purple clad magneto once more, watching as he bounced a truck off the TK shield.

"You be right, cher," He said, cringing as the truck landed a few feet away.

"De best chance we be having is Bobby giving de Magneto a bit of de cold shoulder, non?"

Jean peeped at the blond haired boy.

"Could you handle it, Bobby?" She asked sympathetically.

Bobby shuddered as though the cold he generated was finally getting to him.

"I-I-I'll t-t-try," He said with a loud swallow.

Remy patted Bobby on the back.

"Remy be with you all de way, _homme_," He said with a reassuring grin.

Bobby nodded and phased to his all-ice form.

"Go…for his…helmet," Jean gasped as she blocked a bus with her mind.

"I'll…drop…the shield…on a count…of three…"

She clapped her hands to her aching temples.

"One," Remy began.

"Two," Bobby said nervously.

"Three!" Jean cried, falling to the ground with her protective shield.

Bobby and Remy were in instant action.

The mutant known as Iceman let an arc of ice create itself below his feet, sliding him ever closer to his worst nightmare—Magneto.

"Chill, man!" He shouted, shooting a glob of nitrogen-like ice at the purple figure.

Magneto laughed and blocked the attack easily with a metal shield.

"You think you're going to win, don't you?" He said in an amused tone.

"We sure are!" Bobby yelled with conviction, sending another cluster of cold ice at the madman.

Magneto smiled patiently, warding it off with a stray piece of metal.

"And what makes you think that, pray tell?" He asked.

Bobby inched closer.

"Cuz we have Wolverine and Rogue on our side!" He shouted fiercely.

Magneto blanched slightly at the mention of Rogue.

"Ahh, so that's where the dear girl has gone off to. We've been wondering about her."

He chuckled.

"You really think that 'Wolverine' could be of any threat to me, the master of the metal that is bonded to his very bones?"

He shook his head and swung a sharp-edged piece of shrapnel at Bobby, knocking him off his slide and down to the ground below.

_So, Xavier has gotten Rogue, _Magneto thought as he dropped a chunk of metal toward Remy's head.

_She could be a formidable opponent, if the Brotherhood doesn't find her first._

With a smile, he sent a last sheet of metal down to maim the fallen iceman and floated off to find Mystique.

                                                                                      + + + + + 

(( Damn! Won't those two ever get a chance? And omg Magneto just found out where Rogue went! Stay tuned and please review~ ^-^))


	10. Chapter 10

  Author's note: Here's another update, just like I promised! Keep the reviews coming! ^-^

                                       Happy Holidays from ~1LiLRoGuE/KaTe~                                                                                    

+ + + + + 

Cyclops walked steadily on, patrolling like the soldier he was.

"Slow down, _herr _Scott," Nightcrawler gasped, teleporting every few seconds to keep up with Scott's fierce marching pace.

Scott glanced at the blue-furred mutant with a startled expression.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Kurt. I completely forgot you were there."

Kurt frowned and disappeared in a **BAMF**.

"Not very nice ov you," He commented as he rematerialized beside the X-men's leader.

Scott smiled apologetically.

"I'm just very preoccupied with my thoughts," He explained to his long-time friend.

Kurt sighed.

"You are alvays very preoccupied vith your zoughts, Scott. And very serious ones at that."

Scott frowned.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Kurt grinned impishly and teleported another step.

"Vhy, you are alvays thinking ov da team.  Alvays vith de battle plans, ov vaht to do next. Never ov de leisure things---never ov de dating?"

Scott snorted.

"Sure I do," He protested defensively. 

Kurt nodded encouragingly.

"Vho do you think ov, _herr_ Scott?"

Scott pursed his lips.

"Jean," He answered finally.

Kurt laughed.

"I knew dat vould be your answer! Vhy do you not ask her out then?"

Scott sighed.

"It isn't that simple. It's---she's my goal, my _dream_, Kurt! What if I spoil my chance?"

Kurt shook his head and disappeared in a cloud of sulfur, only to appear seconds later on a stockpile a few feet above Scott's head.

"Zen you spoil your chances, Scott.  You vill never know until you try."

Scott nodded.

"You're right," He admitted with a sigh. 

"Maybe I will ask her out. Someday."

_/// Marvel girl to X-men! I require immediate assistance! Beast and Colossus are down, and Storm is about to fall! ///_

Cyclops jerked his head up with a horrified expression.

"Jean!" He gasped.

Kurt's face mirrored the panic in Scott's face.

"Come, _herr_ Scott! Ve must teleport to save zee love ov your life immediately!"

He grabbed Scott's arm and was about to activate his powers when a sharp slapping sound filled the air.

"Ew, *@#!!!--!" Kurt cried in German, lifting his feet in disgust.

Moments later a slimy green figure landed beside them to join the puddle of goo it had created.

"Well, hallo Cyclops, hallo Nightcrawlah," He said in a heavy English accent.

"Didn't expect to see you heah---oh wait, you lead Xaviah's little X-people, if I'm correct?"

The mutant known as Toad grinned.

"Well, I'm just here to inform y'all that you're surrounded by me and a team of about eight other 'gifted' people who also believe in homo superior's superiority. Enjoy!"

Cyclops and Nightcrawler looked frantically around them.

"Here I am," Came a voice as a young silver-haired man known as Pietro Maximoff stepped from behind a pillar, his green costume glistening.

"Lovely party, think I'll join," Said the mutant called Mastermind as he jumped off a stack of wood.

"Got enough room for six more?" Asked a mountain of flesh, fat, and bone aptly named 'the Blob'.

"If there's room for Blob, there's got to be bloody room for me," Commented the English mutant Pyro sarcastically as he slid down the top of the nearby building's ridged tin roof.

"Give me a moment, and I'll **make **room!" Avalanche said, rising up like a magician from what had previously been a large dip the concrete.

Cyclops took in a hissing breath through his teeth.

"Shittt…" He groaned.

                                                                                         + + + + + +   

Logan stopped in mid stride and held up a hand, his body tensed.

"What's wrong, shugah?" Rogue asked, moving over beside him and clutching his arm for security.

"Shhh," The man said as he tuned in with his fine hearing.

_There 't is 'gain. Crunch. Footsteps. I can smell 'im too. Or rather her. Shit!_

"It's Mystique," He whispered, recalling the last fight with the blue shapeshifter.

_That woman has strength from hell, _He thought, remembering how she had kicked him in the groin.

It hadn't mattered that he had a healing factor---he'd carried a bruise for almost three minutes.

"Ahre yah sure, shugah?" Rogue asked nervously.

_Th' onlahy person Mystique didn't teach meh t' take down is, ironically----Mystique._

"Mama?" She called into the chilly night, sidling up even closer to Logan's warm side.

"Your boyfriend there has good ears."

Rogue whipped her head in the direction of the sound.

"Mama? Ah can't see yah."

She caught a blur of movement as Mystique shifted into a more visible form.

"Hello, daughter," The metamorph said in a sardonic tone.

Wolverine growled and put his arms around Rogue in a protective manner.

"Shhh, Logan, it's ahlraight," Rogue mumbled, patting him lightly on the chest.

Mystique chuckled with little merriment to her tone.

"My, my, dear, I see we've caught ourselves a lively one. Is he housetrained? Does he bite?"

 Rogue frowned.

"Get t' th' point, mama," She said, stroking Logan on the arm gently to restrain him.

The metamorphic mutant smiled sadistically and melded into yet another form.

"Why, daughter dearest, I was worried about you. You just ran off without a word! We thought something terrible must have happened."

She glanced at Wolverine with a dark smile.

"I see it already did."

Logan's growl became more intense.

"Logan!" Rogue hissed warningly, elbowing him slightly to bring him to his senses.

"Ah'm faine, mama. Ah'm on Xaviah's team now."

Mystique put a hand to her heart in a mock expression of pain.

"My own daughter! A turncoat! Is your wish to kill your mother?"

Rogue shook her head.

"No mama! Ah just remembahd what yah told meh…' Do whatever you have to do to insure survival, Rogue, even if it involves double-crossing your family and friends. You must always come first in your eyes'!"

Mystique smirked.

"Very wise words, but I never meant for you to use them in this manner. You've been a bad little girl, Rogue."

Here Mystique let a sly smile escape her blue features.

"Bad little girls need to be punished."

The air right beside Rogue and Wolverine exploded into a fury of purple.

"**Shit!**" Logan yelled, throwing himself at the southern mutant and tackling her to the ground.

Mystique grinned and morphed into the splitting image of Wolverine, down to the very claws that made him who he was---lethal.

"Run for it, darlin', I'll cover fer yah!" Logan yelled, shoving Rogue in the opposite direction as Mystique approached, claws gleaming.

Rogue shook her head.

"No way!" She shouted.

Logan was about to protest when the air between them blew up, leaving a trail of purple smoke.

More bolts where soon to follow, clouding the air with a fog that made it impossible for even Logan (despite his enhanced sense of sight) to see through.

He relied on hearing, striking out blindly as he heard metal grating against metal.

Rogue meanwhile was using the extreme agility Mystique had forced her to adapt to, dodging the sudden explosions which she knew from experience to be the Scarlet Witch's hex bolts.

"Logan! Above yah!" She shouted as she saw the blue flash of Mystique activating her powers.

Wolverine ducked in response, feeling the rush of air as the claws grazed the top of his hair.

"Thanks!" He shouted, swinging a fist in the general direction of the attack.

The mist cleared a bit, letting his super-vision pierce through the confusion to size up what form his opponent had utilized this time.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he made out his long-time foe, Sabertooth, complete with four long metal claws from between each knuckle.

"So that's th' way it's gonna be, eh?" He growled, slightly flexing the special muscle in his forearm to release one set of three adamantium claws.

The fake Sabertooth snarled and pounced, ramming the fistful of metal into Logan's gut.

"Eeesh," Logan hissed, feeling the claws stop as they touched his adamantium spine.

"Logan!" Rogue screamed as she saw him punch his opponent off with a lesser in number but much stronger set of Adamantium.

Wolverine bent over and clutched his stomach, feeling the sickly gush of blood as it leaked out and drenched the front and back of his black and yellow uniform.

Rogue did a back flip to avoid the purple explosion aimed for her body and landed beside the groaning mutant, her green eyes filled with concern.

"Logan! Ahre y' ahlraight?" She asked, throwing her arm around his shoulders and looking with horror at the pool of blood spreading below their feet.

"Errrr…yeah…think so…"

The explosions had paused momentarily, the air becoming too clouded with purple smoke for their hunter to see them any longer.

Logan stood up, wiping his hands on his pants.

"Healed. Let's getcha outta here!"

Rogue blanched.

"What happened t' mama?" She asked, her eyes filling with tears.

Logan looked uncertain.

"Well...uhhh..."

The smoke cleared and Rogue made out a blue form on the ground.

"Mama!" She cried, rushing to the figure and slamming to her knees.

The bright red streaks of blood on Mystique's stomach told the story.

"Rogue…" The dying metamorph gurgled, looking up at the girl that, in some way or another, she had come to love as the daughter she had never had.

"I'm…sorry," She gasped, her blue features scrunched in pain.

"I…only meant you…good…though…at times…it might not have…seemed…that way."

Rogue choked back a sob and cradled the woman's head in her lap.

"No, ah'm th' one who's sorrahy, mama! Ah letcha down. Ah let you an th' 'hood down!"

Mystique coughed weakly.

"You never…did…in my heart…I wanted…the best…for you…and I…see…that Xavier…can give you…that."

She sucked in another breath.

"Even…your boyfriend…there…can give you…better…"

Rogue let the tears fall down her face.

"No, mama," She whispered. "Don't daih! Please don't!"

Mystique smiled apologetically.

"There are…times when…you have…to let…go……"

Rogue's face went white as Mystique's eyes took on a dull, lifeless look.

"No! Mama!" She shrieked, shaking the dead mutant furiously.

"Y' can't daih! Y just can't! Ah won't let you!"

Logan knelt down beside Rogue and pulled her to his chest.

"Rogue…'s for th' best…" He soothed, stroking her hair gently as she soaked the front of his blood stained uniform with hot tears.

"How can y' say that!" She burst angrily, raising her head.

"Mystique…yer 'mama'…was mixed up. There were two sides t' th' coin---kinda like me, but worse. She was mentally sick, Rogue---she couldn't see reason."

Rogue's face turned red.

"How **dare** y' talk about _mah _**mama **that way, y' son ahv ah bitch?! Ah **hate **you!"

She pushed away from him and stood up, her fists clenched.

"Y' killed mah mama! Ma **mama! **Th' person that cahed fer meh when no one else would! Y' **are **just an animal, **Wolverine! **Yah're ah fucking inhumahn freak!"

Logan lowered his head.

"I…don't know what t' tell yeh, Rogue," He said gently.

Rogue hissed and scrunched up her reddened face even more.

"Don't tell meh **nothing,** y'—y' damned **abomination!** Ah don't even want t' **see** you again!"

She paused for breath, her voice hoarse from yelling.

"If ah wouldn't end up with y' in mah head, ah would **kill **y' raight heah an now!"

A furious glint came into her eye.

"In fact, ah think ah will!" She shouted, stripping off her glove and lunging at her foster mother's killer with her bared hand extended.

"Rogue, Rogue, calm down darlin'," Logan said in a comforting voice, ducking to avoid her fingers and catching her around her waist with his arms.

"Y' can't daih! Ah won't let you! Oh mama…"

Rogue collapsed into sobs again and slumped against Logan, her body becoming boneless as the overwhelming rush of sorrow overtook her.

Logan patted her back and kissed her hair, feeling her grief as if it where his own.

"Shhh. Darlin'. Take it easy. Jus' take a deep breath. That's a good girl."

Rogue nodded and sucked in air with a pitiful sound.

"D' yeh think y' could finish th' job?" Logan asked, rubbing her back as he looked her in the eyes.

"Mhmm," Rogue sniffled after a moment.

"C-can we c-come back fer mah m-mama?"

Logan nodded.

"Yeah. We'll give her a good place---y' pick where. She deserves it—if some of th' thin's she did in her life weren't too pretty, at least she helped make y' who y' are---an that's a lot o' good."

Rogue sighed shakily.

"C'mon, darlin', ol' witchy is gonna be back any second."

Rogue nodded weakly and let herself be led towards her next battle.

                                                                                                 + + + + +   

(( Gasp! Mystique's dead! Cyke and Kurt are surrounded! And how will Rogue and Wolvy stand against Magneto? Stay tuned and please review! ^-^))


	11. Chapter 11

Author's note: 0o0o0o0o0o, more stuff for you to read! Aren't you lucky? And guess what…yes, I'm working on Sk8r Boi #2 for you so you'll still have something to read when y'all finish this! Have fun! ^-^

~1LiLRoGuE/KaTe~

+ + + + +

Jean moaned and raised aching head.

"Bobby?" She asked, slowly remembering the events of the past hour.

Panic spread within her as she received no reply.

"Bobby?!" She cried again, scrambling to her feet despite the insistent throbbing in her temples as a result of overloading her powers.

She glanced around her, taking the horrifying scene in with her wide green eyes---friends lying battered and broken on the concrete, shredded twists of shrapnel and ash, blood and small bits of what seemed to be glass.

Jean closed her eyes and utilized her powers of telepathy, ignoring the increase of pain in her head as she scanned every conscious mind within a radius of two kilometers around her.

"Bobby?" She called again as she found nothing.

Suddenly she became aware of the fact that the bits of glass below her feet wasn't what she had at first thought it to be.

"Bobby!" She cried, dropping to her knees and running the bits of broken ice through her fingers, a tear trickling from her eyes.

"Oh, Bobby, I'm so sorry! If only I had held out longer…"

She brought her hands to her face as she keened in sorrow for her friend and somewhat admirer, Robert Drake aka the Iceman.

A moan from behind her gripped her attention.

"Oro!" She exclaimed, rushing to her African friend.

Oro's eyes fluttered and opened, revealing pupiless eyes of the purest white.

"D-did it work?" The weather goddess asked as she made out her redheaded friend's worried face.

"Yes and no," Jean said, grief consuming her soul.

"B-but I think B-bobby's d-dead!"

Oro brought a hand to her mouth and sat up slowly.

"Goddess," She whispered, her eyes filling with the same pain and sorrow as Jean's.

"He was so young…"

The girls shared a quiet moment as they remembered their fallen friend and teammate.

"There are only little bits of him left," Jean sniffled as she wiped her eyes.

"He must've been in ice shape…he's…shattered…all over the…courtyard…"

She collapsed with a keening wail as the implications struck her once more.

Minutes later the woman got up quietly and checked their unconscious teammates before dealing with Bobby's cold remains.

Oro's eyes glowed with a kind of electricity as she lovingly created a bowl of ice to preserve her young friend's icy remains.

"He had a crush on me," She said sadly as she materialized a lid of the same solidified liquid.

"Me too," Jean said, giggling through her tears.

"I hope that wherever he is now, he's happy, and has everything he wants," Oro said solemnly as she set down the urn of ice.

Jean sniffled.

"Me too," She said, her heart aching at the sight of the mysterious glass-like urn.

Oro laid a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I am sure he is better off up there," She said gently, her voice as soothing as the wind she conjured to sweep what remained of the Iceman from the pavement.

Jean nodded and wiped her eyes.

"It's just…he was so y-young," She sighed, her eyes beginning to seep once more.

Oro nodded and bit her lip as she interred the last of Robert Drake into the icy container, sealing the lid with a determined look.

"Magneto will pay," She whispered.

+ + + + +

Magneto looked a tad annoyed as his communicator clicked with an incoming transmission.

"Quicksilver to Magneto. Are you there, father?"

Magneto didn't even bother to press the button that controlled his radio, instead letting one magnetic thought complete the action for him.

"Quicksilver. Why do you bother me with your useless chatter?"

Pietro paused on the other end, his eyes clouding with stinging tears.

"I just wanted to inform you," He said when he had collected himself enough to speak without crying.

"We've got Cyclops and Nightcrawler."

Magneto nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes," He said absently. 

"They may prove useful. Is that all you have to say?"

Pietro sighed.

"There is also bad news. Mystique is down---she met up with Rogue and Wolverine."

Magneto took a hissing breath through his teeth.

"Can you never do anything right, Quicksilver?" He asked in a disgusted tone.

"Mystique was an important part of the brotherhood!"

Pietro sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry father. I tried."

"Sorry isn't good enough," Magneto snapped as he floated over a set of telephone wires, ripping them up in a blind rage behind him with his powers.

"You can't just _try,_ Quicksilver! How many times have I told you that? You are a disgrace to the homo superior race!"

Pietro ground his teeth in an effort to not let the tears wet his face.

"Father, I was with the rest of the brotherhood, capturing the hostages! How could I be in two places at one time? It's impossible!"

Magneto scowled.

"Your name is Quicksilver, isn't it? Find a way!"

He ended the transmission by magnetically tearing the communicator off of his chest and crumbling it to bits.

"Incompetent fool," He grumbled angrily.

+ + + + +

Scott glared at the froglike man who sat, grinning nastily, before him.

"I dare say y' don't like that, chum," Toad said as he again viewed his handiwork---green slime, completely coating the two mutants from the jaw down.

Kurt, who was sitting back-to-back with Cyclops, was too preoccupied with fighting off an illusion created by Mastermind to be of much use for escape, occasionally swearing in German as things got sticky {no pun intended}.

Toad flicked out his long tongue and retrieved a fly without blinking, his slimy skin glistening as he swallowed it and turned back to Scott.

"What you looking at, eh, Cyclops?" He asked in a nasal-pitched English accent.

Scott scowled and continued to unnervingly glare at the frogman.

"Look, man," Toad said, holding up his webbed fingers.

"It's nothing personal. This is all for the big man."

Cyclops grinned suddenly.

"Look man, it's nothing personal," He mimicked.

"This is all for the big man."

Before Toad could open his mouth to ask what his hostage was playing at, Scott pressed the visor-release button concealed in the palm of his glove.

He let go of the button, staring at the black crisp that was all that remained of the mutant known as toad.

"Pretty sad ending," He commented to Nightcrawler as he blasted them free of the departed frogman's slimy green bindings.

Nightcrawler sank to the ground, his jaw slack.

"Oh, man," Scott groaned.

"Do I have to _carry _you?"

He sighed and hefted the blue-furred teleported over his shoulder.

"Here we come, Jean," He murmured as he started off towards the telepath's last signal.

"I just hope we aren't too late."

+ + + + +

((Holy !@###$! Bobby's dead! Magneto's pissed! And what's Scott gonna do when he finds out? Stay tuned and please review!))


	12. Chapter 12

Author's note: Hey folks! Look what we have here…another nice long read! Enjoy! ^-^

~1LiLRoGuE/KaTe~

+ + + + +

"How nice to see you again, Wolverine. I see Rogue is with you?"

Logan whipped around at the sound of Magneto's voice.

"Magneto." He snarled.

Rogue looked up, her face coming to life as the hatred sparked within her.

"Oh, look who it is! It's mah _pimp,_" She said sarcastically as she studied the face of the man who had caused the worst three days of her life.

Magneto sighed.

"I only did what anyone would have done. It was in the best interest for the Brotherhood. You were a member, am I correct?"

Rogue's face hardened.

"Not anymoah," She said in a harsh tone. 

"An that's not what anyone would've done! That's not in th' 'best interest foah th' brothahood', that was y' using meh as ah pawn t' get what y' wanted!"

Magneto smiled grimly.

"Perhaps, my dear, but it worked, and that was all that mattered. It caused another step towards the total domination of the homo sapiens race. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Wolverine looked disgusted.

"Isn't that what she wanted? Y' think she _wanted_ t' be _touched_by that asshole Creed?"

Magneto frowned.

"I suggest that you stay out of this, Wolverine," He said, slightly waving his hand at the feral mutant.

Wolverine stiffened and grimaced.

"What ahre y' doing t' him?" Rogue asked, watching as Logan shut his eyes in pain.

Magneto chuckled.

"Simply calming down your treacherous friend there. From the look on his face, I believe he was about to attempt an attack on me. Foolish animal."

Anger welled up in Rogue.

"He is _not _ah foolish animal!" She burst, screwing up her face with fury.

"Yah're th' animal, Magneto! Ah can't believe ah evah worked foah ah tyrant laike you!" 

Magneto laughed coolly.

"Me? A tyrant? Hardly. Perhaps Xavier is, using his resources to bribe you to do whatever he wishes, but I am not like him. All I do is for the good of homo superior."

Rogue gritted her teeth.

"Foah th' _good _ahv homo superiah?!Foah gawds sakes, Magneto! Look at what yah're doing t' that poah mutant theah!"

Wolverine let out a groan as Magneto dislocated his joints.

"He is not worthy to be called a homo superior. He is cruel and kills without necessity. He is like a _human._"

Magneto twisted his hand with a savage expression, drawing out another cry of pain from the semi-feral mutant called Wolverine.

"Stop it!" Rogue said, worry suddenly taking a hold of her heart.

_He's crazy, _She thought as she watched her former employer tense his hands.

_Ah need t' distract him so he won't hurt Logan._

Rogue frowned and bit her lip.

"Whaih is Wolverine so 'treacherous'?" She asked, recalling that Logan had once worked for this evil madman.

Magneto sighed.

"You are very nosey, my dear," He said, somewhat releasing his hold on Rogue's friend.

Logan grabbed the opportunity to suck in much-needed air, his rib cage no longer controlled by his foe.

"Wolverine used to work for me; a man for hire---much like the 'Sabertooth' you so much hate."

Here Magneto allowed a smile to creep to his face.

"In fact, you could say he is a lot like Sabertooth. They used to spend a lot of time together---which is logical, as they were friends."

Rogue's eyes widened.

"They weah friends?" She asked, a distant fury beginning to boil within her.

Magneto chuckled.

"Worse, my dear. They were **best **friends."

Rogue struggled to swallow the vomit that rose to her throat.

"But they ahrn't now?" She asked, determined to buy Logan some time.

_We can hack this out latah._

Magneto sighed and shook his head.

"Unfortunately not. I do believe that either Sabertooth or the so-called 'Wolverine' committed some act that seriously affected the other---probably the fact that Wolverine botched up a mission for the two of them."

Rogue tried not to think of what kind of dark, disgusting, horrible things the duo might have done, but curiosity got the better of her.

"W-what kaind ahv missions did they go on?" She asked slowly.

Magneto chuckled at the girl's obvious hesitation.

"Plenty. Their primary specialty, due to their keen senses, was assassination."

Rogue gulped.

"What kaind ahv mission was Wolverine on when he joined th' X-men?"

Magneto smiled.

"So full of questions! The mission was to dispose of your beloved Professor Xavier, I believe."

Rogue gasped.

"Ah think yah're lying!" She said angrily, clenching her fists.

The corners of Magneto's mouth turned up.

"Ask him," He said, pointing towards Wolverine.

Rogue turned to Logan.

"Is this true?" She asked in a serious tone.

"Mmmph…yesss…"

Rogue felt utterly betrayed.

"How could you?" She hissed, looking at Wolverine with absolute disgust.

Logan closed his eyes.

"Orders," He mumbled.

Rogue gritted her teeth.

_Ah should do it now, _She thought, looking slowly down at her glove.

_Ah don't care what he does t' Logan now, ahwl ah know is that Magneto must be stopped._

Magneto scrunched his fingers together, bringing Wolverine down to his knees with pain.

"I spit on insignificant beings like you," He said as he slowly turned his wrist.

"That is why I will exterminate you. Goodbye, Wolverine."

He slowly began to curl his fingers towards his chest, drawing inhumane growls of pain from Logan.

"Hold it raight theah, shugah," Rogue said, holding a bare hand to a space in the neck of Magneto's costume.

The magnetic mutant froze.

"What are you doing, Rogue?" He asked in a humored tone.

"Ah'm doing what's raight, y' heah?" Rogue said, bringing her fingers closer to his neck.

Magneto laughed and moved his hand once more, making Wolverine howl.

"If you do that, dear girl," The master of Magnetism said with a chuckle. 

"If you do that, I shall exterminate your little boyfriend."

Rogue snapped.

"He is **not **mah boyfriend!" She shrieked, throwing her arms around Magneto's head and putting her bare hands to his face.

The familiar feeling of raw power and energy flowing into her followed the activation of her 'gifts'.

Rogue's eyes turned pupiless as she drew away everything Magneto possessed---his mind, his memories, and his powerful mutant gifts.

With a final scream, Magneto jerked his hand and fell to the ground motionless.

Rogue shook her head as she struggled to force down the madman's memories and crazed thoughts which ordered her to finish killing Logan.

_Ah won't, _She thought as she locked away this new piece of brain in the place where she stored all her other past victims---deep in the back of her mind.

"We got him, Logan!" Rogue shrieked excitedly.

No body answered.

'Logan?" Rogue asked, concern spreading.

She searched around her frantically, finally spotting him a few feet away.

She covered her mouth in horror as she made out parts of his metallic skeleton sticking out of his flesh, in some places drawing the natural bone with it.

Rogue ran to his side and made a splash as she sank to her knees beside him.

"Logan?" She whispered again, a tear trickling down her cheek.

She covered her mouth.

_Rogue! _

"Logan?" Rogue asked, looking at his prone form.

_In here, darlin'. Listen. Y' gotta put the metal back._

Rogue bit her lip.

"How?" She asked, shivering as she peeped at the gleaming metal showing through parts of Logan's skin.

_Y' just absorbed Magneto, didn'cha? Use it! It'll all heal back once y' done that._

Rogue nodded slowly and extended her hand.

_Hurry!_

She waved her hand slightly, trying to recall what Magneto had done.

To her surprise, she actually felt the metal surrounding her---calling to her with a sort of metallic song, begging her to bend and command them.

Closing her eyes, she sorted through them until she felt the strongest one straight beneath her fingertips.

It exuded a different feel---strong and steely, with a hint of something she couldn't fathom.

_That must be th' adamantium, _Rogue thought, concentrating on the individual feeling.

She lowered her hand slightly, and let out a gasp as she felt the metal move.

Rogue opened her green eyes and looked at Logan's body once more, blinking in astonishment as she saw that the metal had changed its position---almost disappearing into Logan's body.

Closing her eyes once more, she pushed down until she felt a kind of click---the metal, melded to his bones, settling into their natural resting place.

_Good, darlin'. Now check th' vitals._

Rogue opened her eyes and ran her eyes over Logan's lifeless body, watching with amazement as the flesh around the wounds re-knitted themselves and disappeared as though they had never been.

She lowered her skunk-striped head and placed her ear to Logan's well-developed chest almost hesitantly, intent on listening for his pulse.

Rogue drew back as she heard the steady thump begin, a smile on her face.

"Hey, shugah," She called softly, taking his larger hand in hers and patting it gently.

"Can y' wake up? Please?"

Logan's eyelids fluttered slightly.

"Ah know yah're awake, shugah, stop playing games…wakey wakey…"

Wolverine grinned slowly and opened his eyes.

"Hey, darlin'. Did I ever tell y' that I—"

He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Tell meh what?" Rogue asked with an amused smile.

"Never mind. Didya get 'im?"

Rogue smirked.

"No, ah just let him walk away. What d'yah think, shugah?"

Logan grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah, well…" He said as his mind began to clear.

Rogue extended her bare hand to him, watching with disappointment as he hesitated.

"Shugah, it's undah control," She whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

Logan started.

"Oh! It ain't that, darlin'. Jus' thought I might be a lil heavy fer yah, is all."

Rogue laughed with relief.

"Ah'm glad. Seriously, though, ah can take yah. Remembah who ah just absorbed!"

Logan glared at her.

"Did you get that bastard in yer head?" He asked in an angry tone.

Rogue was taken back.

"Well…yeah, shugah."

Logan growled and jumped to his feet.

"Don't worrahy, ah've got him undah wraps," Rogue said soothingly, patting his bare arm with her gloveless hand and reveling in the feeling of controlled touch.

She looked up to see him watching her with his ice-blue eyes.

"Logan…" She said warningly.

Wolverine sighed.

"Ah just don't wanna get inta anythang moah heah till ah know everythang ah need t' know about yah. Okay?"

Logan nodded glumly.

"Fine with me," He said, standing up.

"C'mon. Let's go find th' others."

+ + + + +

((OMG! Magneto nearly de-boned Wolverine! And, thanks to our heroine Rogue, Magneto suffered big time! A touch of thievery…Remy would be proud -_~ Stay tuned and please review!))


	13. Chapter 13

Author's note: Enjoy this, only another chapter or two to go! Then its…Sk8r Boi #2: Rise of the Phoenix! ^-^

~1LiLRoGuE/KaTe~

+ + + + +

Jean sighed and rubbed her aching temples.

"Do you think you could hold Remy for a moment, Oro? It's a bit much----Colossus weighs at least five hundred pounds!"

Oro frowned with concern.

"Of course, Jean. Maybe you should sit down for a while."

Jean smiled thankfully and sat down, the yellowish halo of psychic energy around her head disappearing momentarily as she let her powers rest.

"Gosh, I don't think I've used my mind this much since my powers manifested!"

Oro patted her friend's shoulder sympathetically with her free hand.

"I don't think you should carry them anymore with your TK, Jean. I can create a wind to lift Colossus and Beast, and you can drag Remy physically. "

Jean frowned.

"What about Bobby?" She asked, her tone lowering as she spoke his name.

Oro sighed.

"Perhaps you can transport that with your powers, Jean. Just don't overload yourself."

Jean nodded and they proceeded with this new order; Oro utilizing her powers of weather control to carry the heavy all-metal Russian and her furry blue boyfriend on a supporting wind, and Jean dragging Remy from his shoulders, her forehead glowing as she lifted Bobby's light-weight urn of ice.

They slowly made their way to the designated meeting place, Jean pausing every once in a while to rub her aching forehead.

She didn't tell Oro for the fear that her African friend would panic, but the throb in her head had now become a stabbing pain, making her feel as though her skull had split.

Jean set down the urn and Remy with an exhausted sigh.

"Gosh! These boys are heavy."

Oro was about to reply when a voice called their names.

"Jean! Oro! Thank god!"

They turned to see Scott running in their direction, the lightweight Kurt slung over his shoulder like a small sack of potatoes.

Scott stopped before them, breathing heavy.

"What happened? Are you alright?"

Jean nodded.

"We're fine, but the boys got a bad beating…"

Scott looked around them.

"Where's Bobby?" He asked.

Jean and Oro hung their heads.

"Scott…Bobby didn't make it."

Scott looked shocked.

"But…"

Jean lifted the urn with her mind one last time.

"He's in here," She said mournfully.

"What remains of him, that is."

Scott sank to his knees and put his hands to his visor-protected eyes.

"I don't believe it," He whispered.

Jean knelt down beside him and gave him a hug.

"He was a great friend and a good team member. We all will miss him."

Scott shook his head.

"I can't believe I let this happen," He said, angry with himself.

Oro frowned.

"It was not your fault, Scott. He died honorably in combat. No one could have prevented it."

Scott gritted his teeth.

"It was my fault, Oro," He said in a stern tone.

"I'm the leader here. My job is to make sure you guys do your job and get through in one piece!"

He stood up violently.

"I fucked up bad. How the hell could I miscalculate our plans so much?!"

Jean put her arms around his shoulders.

"Scott, take it easy. No body blames you! You did you job. I know Bobby wouldn't like you blaming yourself for his…passing. As Oro said, he died with honor---facing his worst fears. And he conquered them!"

Scott slammed one fist into his open palm.

"That's not the point!" He shouted, his eyebrows drawing together behind his visor.

"I didn't do my job! It's my fault! I designed the plan, I sent you into battle, it's **my! Fucking! Fault!**"

Logan grinned as he stepped up behind them.

"See y' finally acknowledge my opinions, Scooter," He said with a sneer.

Scott turned and snarled in good imitation of Wolverine.

"Fuck off!" He yelled.

Jean bit her lip.

"Calm down, Scott! We don't need **more **casualties here!"

Rogue appeared beside Wolverine, her face screwed up in puzzlement.

"What happened heah, shugah?" She asked to no body in particular.

Oro sniffled, a tear leaking from her pupiless white eyes.

"Bobby…died, Rogue."

Rogue stood frozen, looking at the little glass urn.

"Oh," She whispered.

Oro hugged her friend in silent understanding, her powers unknowingly causing the weather to change.

Logan shifted position and looked up at the sky.

"Hey, it's snowin'," He said for lack of something better.

Jean looked up.

"It's appropriate," She said quietly, watching the little clouds her teammates made with every breath.

The snow fell on.

+ + + + +

Rogue sat stiffly for the whole flight home, speaking not one word to the rest of the team.

Her mind echoed over and over again the strange thoughts that it was her fault---she had recruited him for the mission, made him feel obligated to go.

Logan watched with concern as she let her hair fall in front of her face, not paying attention as the strands slipped into her mouth.

"Hey," He said softly, pushing aside the white veil of silk.

Rogue didn't move, didn't even hear in her guilt-clouded mind.

Wolverine frowned.

"Darlin', it wasn't yer fault."

This stirred a faint sign of recognition in Rogue's glassy green eyes.

"Ah made him go, Logan." She said dully.

Logan watched as she stared straight ahead of her, her face motionless.

"It's what anyone woulda done, darlin'. What they **shoulda **done.No body blames you."

Rogue looked at him, her face spreading in a slow smile of knowledge.

"Yah don't know, do yah?" She asked, a hint of twisted humor in her voice.

Logan frowned.

"Know what?" He asked, putting his hand on her knee.

_Gawd, she should never have t' smile like that. It's so…unnatural… _Logan thought uneasily, wishing he could make her smile for real.

"Y' don't know," Rogue said slowly, patting his hand on her knee.

"Y' don't know what it feels laike t' be afraid."

Logan snorted.

"Sure I do! Y' think being cut into without anesthetics leaves y' with no sense o' fear?" 

Rogue shook her head.

"Y' heal, shugah. Y' have no feah. Sure, it hurt yah, but did y' _really _think y' would daih?"

Logan opened his mouth to protest but Rogue cut him off.

"Bobby was afraid, Logan. So afraid. He was afraid ahv daihing, afraid ahv letting his team down. He was young and scared ahv what's beyond laife."

She paused for breath.

"Ah pushed him. He felt he would look laike ah wimp if he didn't back his team up."

Logan stroked her hand.

"Rogue, he was an X-man. He knew th' risks. He wouldn't be allowed on th' team if he would just sit home an cower in fear all th' time. It was his job. Y' merely reminded him o' that."

Rogue's face grew vague again.

"Rogue…yer needed here. Don't give up cuz o' what happened."

He pulled her to his side and let her lean her head on his shoulder.

"Ah'm not giving up," Rogue whispered.

"It's jus' too hahd t' traih."

+ + + + +

Rogue spent the next day in bed by the means of sleeping pills.

She found herself staring at the bottle, suicidal thoughts running through her head as she contemplated ending it all for good.

_It was mah fault. All mah fault. Bobby went because ahv me._

She twirled the bottle around in her hands with an empty look.

_Ah could do it. Ah could just take them all an sleep away. _

Rogue popped open the lid and poured several white pills into her pale hand.

A knock at the door startled her, making her spill the little handful of pills onto the bedspread around her.

"Rogue, can I come in, darlin'?"

_Shit. It's Logan._

She struggled to pick up the mess with trembling fingers.

"Jus' ah minute!" She called out as she poured the last of the pills into the bottle and closed it.

Throwing them in the drawer of her nightstand, she slammed it viciously and laid back on her pillows.

"Okay."

The door creaked open and Logan walked in.

"How y' feelin'?" He asked, looking around the darkened room.

Rogue shrugged.

"How do ah look?" She asked bitterly.

Logan grinned halfheartedly and sank down on the bed beside her.

"Y' want th' truth?"

Rogue sighed and looked away.

"Y' look terrible, darlin'. I think y' need t' open those curtains an take a shower."

Rogue looked at the shuttered windows dully.

"Go away," She mumbled.

Logan sighed.

"Not till y' give me those pills yeh've got in th' dresser."

Rogue's eyebrows shot up.

"H—what pills?" She asked.

Logan shrugged.

"These ones," He said, opening her drawer and picking up the little bottle.

Rogue looked away.

"Those aren't maihn," She lied, biting her lip.

Logan smirked.

"Nice try, darlin'."

He reached out and brushed aside a lock of her tangled hair.

"Killin' yerself ain't an option," He said tenderly as he studied her face.

Rogue sneered.

"No bodahy asked you." She said bitterly.

Logan sighed and ran his fingers over her shoulder.

"I'm tellin' y' anyways. Yer important t' me, Rogue. Yer important t' th' team. We need yeh."

Rogue laughed thinly.

"Y' seemed to be jus' faine befoah ah came heah, shugah! Y' certainly don't need me now."

Logan leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I need yeh," He said gently.

Rogue glanced at his face.

"Y' think y' do, shugah, but th' truth is y' don't."

Logan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, cradling her head under his chin.

"Y' know that's not true," He mumbled, stroking her back.

"C'mon Rogue. We need y' here. Th' real truth is Bobby's gone, an we need all th' help we kin get. Yer mama's gone too, so yer gonna need us now. Think y' could stick around?"

Rogue sniffled, cuddling closer to his chest.

"It's just s-so hahd," She whispered, tears trickling through her mental emotions block.

"Ah'm afraid ahv daihing."

Logan sighed and held her tighter.

"Everyone's afraid o' that, darlin'. Even me. But what kind o' a life would yeh be livin' if thinkin' about dyin' was all y' did?"

Perspective suddenly dawned on Rogue, making her realize he was right.

_All these yeahs ah've pondahed death---thought about it, thought about experiencing it, when ah could've been living instead, Ah've been dead all this taime._

"Ah prettahy emptahy one, ah guess," She said slowly.

Logan nodded and pressed his lips to her hair.

"Y' have t' deal with much too serious stuff fer a young girl, darlin'. Y' should be worryin' about grades an boys, not about dyin' friends an savin' the world."

Rogue put her arms around his waist.

"That's laife, though," She sighed, feeling alive for the first time in her fairly short life.

Logan grinned at the change in her tone.

"That's life," He said.

+ + + + +

(( Wow! What a reaction from One Eye---er---Scooter-----no, no, it's SCOTT ^-^. And…Rogue? Suicide? Definitely wow. Stay tuned and please review!))


	14. Chapter 14

Author's note: Yup…enjoy this cuz there's only 1 more itty-bitty chapter…so yeah enjoy! ^-^

                                                                       ~1LiLRoGuE/KaTe~                                                                                                

+ + + + +   

Rogue came down for supper that evening, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

Her talk with Logan had loosened all her dead emotions, stirring them to life and releasing all her pent up misery and wishes of death.

She had spent the whole afternoon until this moment sobbing her eyes dry for her dead friend, her dead mother, and all the years that had died within her.

She cried for her lifetime of imprisonment in cloth, and for being able to touch once more.

She cried about Mystique, remembering the best and the worst times.

She cried for Bobby, and for Scott, who blamed himself for the young Iceman's death.

And now she felt free.

Oh, she still felt sad---but the pressure that had built itself up over the years had finally burst, making her feel alive and free once more---no longer a zombie amongst the living.

_The world is so beautiful, _She thought, sliding her bare hand down the glossy oak banister at the side of the stairs that protected those who walked it from falling to the ground below.

She entered the dining room and slipped into her seat.

Instantly every pair of eyes around the table zoomed straight to her bare fingers and low-cut shirt.

"Umm, Rogue…" Jean commented nervously.

Scott cleared his throat.

"Rogue, go put on your gloves right now. That's an order!"

Rogue smiled through her puffy eyes.

"Whaih should ah?" She challenged, leaning back in her seat.

Scott sighed.

"You know why, Rogue. Stop being difficult and go put them on, please. This is no time to fool around---our losses have been quite enough for the present."

Rogue shrugged and looked at Logan.

He was hunched over his food, ignoring the rest of the table as was custom for him.

"Ah'm not gonna put them on," She said stubbornly, waving her bared fingers in front of her.

"Ah don't need them."

Scott dropped his fork on his plate.

"What do you mean?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Y' heard meh, shugah. Ah don't _need _them."

Jean put a hand to her heart.

"Are you saying what I _think _you're saying, Rogue?"

Rogue nodded, her face cracking into a grin.

The table, despite its bleak outlook from Bobby's unoccupied chair, joined her in big smiles.

"Rogue, that's so wonderful," Jean whispered, reaching over to touch Rogue's hand then hesitating.

"May I?" She asked.

Rogue nodded.

Jean touched her fingers to Rogue's hand nervously.

The whole room held its breath as they waited for the characteristic signs of Rogue's victims.

Nothing happened.

"Rogue!" Oro squealed, piling in with Jean to hug her best friend.

Rogue hugged them back, feeling better than she had in years.

"I'm so happy for you, girl!" Jean exclaimed through her tears.

"It is well deserved," Oro said, drawing back.

Professor Xavier cleared his throat.

"I, too, would like to express my delight at this recent development, Rogue! This could not have happened to a more honorable nor worthy person."

Rogue beamed at the Professor's words of praise.

"How did this happen?" Scott asked, sharing in the smile.

Rogue decided that the time for lies was over.

"Logan did it."

Wolverine looked up with wide eyes full of panic as the whole table turned their heads towards him.

The Professor raised his eyebrows.

"How, my dear child?"

Rogue looked straight back at Logan with a firm and steady gaze.

"He touched meh."

Oro and Jean exchanged glances.

"Why, Rogue?" The redheaded Telepath asked with a concerned look.

Rogue sighed.

"It's ah long storahy."

The Professor nodded and clasped his hands in front of him.

"Do tell."

Rogue closed her eyes.

"When ah first came heah, Logan an ah didn't laike each othah verahy much."

"That makes two of us," Scott murmured with a satisfied smirk.

Jean used her TK to swat her admirer with a napkin.

"We got ah little nasty one taime," Rogue said, ignoring the small disruption as she continued her story.

"Actually, it was moah than ah little nasty."

Wolverine dropped his fork in panic.

"Don't," He pleaded.

Scott was sitting on the edge of his seat.

"What happened, Rogue?" He asked with a tense expression.

"He stabbed meh."

Everyone began to talk at once.

"He **stabbed **you, Rogue?!" Jean asked angrily.

"This is one time too many!" Scott said, standing up.

"I always _knew _he could not be trusted," Oro said smugly.

The Professor held up his hands.

"Silence!" He instructed.

He turned to Wolverine.

"Logan, I would ask that you and Rogue would come upstairs to my office immediately."

Wolverine shot Rogue a glare and stood up.

"The rest of you will continue eating your dinner as if nothing has happened. That's an order."

He backed his wheelchair away, with a telepathic command to Jean and Scott to follow him to his office.

"Thanks a lot, darlin'," Wolverine growled.

                                                                                                  + + + + +      

In the Professor's office, Rogue sank down into one of the posh velveteen chairs.

"Rogue, will you please explain in further detail what happened?"

The young southerner shook her head with a small smile.

"Y' have mah permission t' go in mah head an fish it all out, Professah," She said as she tapped her temple.

Professor Xavier smiled at Rogue.

"Thank you. That will make things a lot easier."

He closed his eyes in concentration.

Moments later, he opened them with a grim look.

"I see," He sighed, wheeling his chair over to sit behind his large leather desk.

"Rogue, this is not the only occurrence of Logan displaying violent behavior at this school."

Rogue nodded, her eyes darting to the subject of the conversation who sat in the opposite chair, his teeth clenched and his eyes glaring.

Xavier shook his head sadly.

"Logan, I thought we had discussed that you would try the exercises I had assigned to you to help control your rampant temper."

Wolverine lowered his head.

"I tried," He said in a low tone.

Scott snorted.

"Obviously not hard enough," He said sarcastically.

"It's a miracle there's anything left of Rogue to tell us all this."

Jean pursed her lips.

"I would have to agree with Scott," She said in a stern tone.

"Logan is a danger to this school and all we've worked for. I don't believe it would be safe for him to continue living on the premises."

Scott smirked triumphantly.

"Professor, you're on our side, right?" He asked in a confident voice.

The Professor sighed and looked at the desk before him.

"I'm sorry, Logan, but this time I agree with Scott and Jean. This is one step too far."

Logan lowered his head.

"I must request you to gather your belongings and leave this school by noon tomorrow."

Wolverine nodded sadly.

"I'll be gone," He all but whispered.

                                                                                             + + + + +  

((Why did Rogue spill the beans on Wolvy? Wolvy…kicked out! Things are brewing…stay tuned and please review! ^-^))


	15. Chapter 15

Author's note: The final chapter! You betta enjoy it…cuz I'm slaving away at the sequel! ^-^

                                                               ~1LiLRoGuE/KaTe~

+ + + + +  

Rogue sat in her room once more, watching the rain rush by her window.

_Whaih did ah do it? _She wondered, her mind running over the events of last night once more.

::_Because it's time to be honest with yourself, Rogue._::

Rogue looked around.

"Who said that?" She asked

::_In here_.::

She raised her eyebrows.

~_Mah head is speaking t' meh?_~

::_We are what you took, Rogue. We are thoughts, memories, and feelings_.::

Rogue sighed.

~_Magneto in theah, too_?~

::_We are all here, Rogue. Magneto included_.::

Rogue pondered this for a moment.

~_But ah've always been honest with mahself_,~

::_Can you deny it then_?::

Rogue stared out the window at the bleak mass of gray.

~_Denaihy what?_~

A sigh echoed in some part of Rogue's head.

::_You love him_.::

Rogue raised her eyebrows again.

~_Who_?~

The entity within her shook its head in disbelief.

:: _Logan. You love Logan_. ::

Rogue sputtered.

"No way!" She said aloud.

:: _Then why do you feel so complete when you're with him?_ ::

Rogue shrugged mentally.

~_Ah dunno. He's attractive, ah guess_.~

The entity snorted.

:: _That's an understatement_. ::

Rogue sighed.

~_Ahlraight, faine, have it yoah way! He's th' sweetest, most drool-worthay bad-ass guy on th' face ahv th' entiah earth. What does that prove?_~

The entity rolled its mental eyes.

:: _That you love him_. ::

Rogue slapped her forehead.

~_Wheah did yah get that from_?~

The entity sighed.

:: _We 'get' it from every corner of your body—your brain, your nerves, your stomach, your bones---everything._::

Rogue tittered nervously.

~_Ahlraight, let's just say ah *did* love him. He'd nevah feel th' same way back._~

The entity smiled.

:: _Isn't it worth finding out_?::

Rogue awoke as if from a deep trance to an empty room, silent except for the steady beat of the heavy rain.

"Ah love him," She whispered.

                                                                                          + + + + +  

Rogue flew straight to Logan's room and knocked on the door.

"Logan?" She called, her chest constricting with fear.

No answer.

She opened the door and felt her heart break as she scanned the empty room.

Nothing.

"He's gone," She gasped, tears welling up in her eyes.

_Wait. Ah should check th' garage foah his baike befoah ah jump t' any conclusions._

Rogue ran down the stairs and through the entry hall to the front door, not even pausing to put on a jacket or shoes as she rushed to the mansion's garage.

_He has t' be heah!  _She thought desperately as she tore open the garage door.

Rogue collapsed into tears as she realized the horrible truth---Logan was gone forever.

"Whaih…" She sobbed, cradling her face in her hands.

The urge to run pumped through her veins, and she jumped up once more.

_He's gone, he's gone, _She thought, feeling it pulse with every heartbeat as she ran across the driveway.

Out in the open grass she breathed easier, the cool dew of the grass and the water from the sky somewhat soothing the fire in her mind.

She ran until she reached the small hill where she had seen Logan's hidden side that one night, and there sat down with a kind of temporary peace.

_Ah'll nevah be able t' faind him, _She thought mournfully, wrapping her arms around herself and letting the rain soak through her clothes.

_He's gone, gone, gone. Ah maight as well be._

"Rogue?"

She turned her head.

"Logan?" She whispered, staring with disbelief at the man standing before her.

Wolverine squinted.

"Yeah," He said quietly.

Rogue looked at the ground, not knowing quite what to say now that the moment had come.

"Why y' here?"

She licked her lips, trying to think of a way to explain her revelation to him.

"Ah thought you weah gone fer good," She said finally.

Logan sighed and knelt down beside her.

"I was. I am. I'm not stayin'. Jus' wanted t' come here one last time."

Rogue looked away, tears forming in her green eyes.

_He doesn't feel laike ah do, _She thought, her tears overflowing to join the falling rain.

Logan watched her discreetly as a drop rolled down her nose.

"Why'd yeh do it?" He asked, reaching out his hand to wipe it away.

Rogue sighed.

"Ah was taihed ahv lying. It was taime t' be honest."

She fell silent.

Logan stood up slowly.

"Well, I better git goin'. I'll be lucky t' see in this."

Rogue nodded and reached out a hand to him.

"Take cahre," She whispered as he helped her up.

"I will."

Logan looked away.

"You take care too, y'know. I won't be around t' keep yeh from hurtin' yerself now."

Rogue swallowed shakily.

:: _Now or never. _::

"Ah-ah—" She started, her voice trembling as she struggled to push out the words.

Logan turned away.

"Ah love you!" She said almost desperately.

Wolverine looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Yer jus' sayin' that."

Rogue's eyes welled up with another set of tears.

"No! Ah do! Ah mean it!"

Logan stayed silent for a few minutes, watching the rain.

"I'm not good enough fer you," He said, lowering his head.

"I'm dangerous, like Xavier said. Y' need someone safe, someone who'll always be there fer yeh. Not me."

Rogue almost choked on her words.

"Yah l-love meh t-too, don't yah?" She asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

Logan grunted.

"No shit, Sherlock," He said sarcastically.

Rogue felt overjoyed.

"Then w-what's th' p-problem?" She asked almost hesitatingly.

Logan growled.

"Yer very stupid, y' know that? Y' ask what's th' problem? I'll tell y' what th' problem is. I'm a fucking animal! I kill fer fun! I'm as bad as Creed!"

Rogue frowned.

"Yah've done some bad thangs, yes, but yah'll nevah be as bad as Creed," She whispered.

"Don't evah say that."

Logan sneered.

"Y' don't wanna hear some o' th' thin's I've done, darlin'. Yeh'd lose yer appetite if not yer mind."

Rogue shrugged.

"Ah don't cahre about th' past, Logan! It's behaind us now. We can traih t' make ouahselves ah bettah future, but we can't changed what happened."

She looked him in the eyes.

"Logan, ah'd lose mah maind without you. Yah're th' onlahy thang that stopped meh from ending it all yestahday! Ah would've done it. Ah need you!"

Rogue's tone softened.

"Ah love yah, Logan. Can't yah just accept it?"

Logan shrugged pitifully.

"I love y' too, Rogue," He said sadly.

"But I gotta go. I can't stay."

Rogue's face hardened.

"Ahv course yah can!" She said, clenching her fists.

"Once ah talk t' th' Professah, he'll be begging yah t' stay!"

Logan shook his head.

"Don't, Rogue," He said, holding up a hand.

"I'm too dangerous. It's fer all of yeh kids' good."

Rogue moved closer to him and put her arms around his waist.

"Oh, poor meh," She said mockingly as she snuggled her head to his chest.

"Knock it off. Yah're just making meh want yah moah, shugah."

Logan grinned halfheartedly.

"I'm tryin' t' be serious, Rogue," He said.

Rogue looked up at him with a smirk.

"Yah're not traihyng verahy hahd, shugah."

She tilted her head and touched his lips with hers, closing her eyes at the incredible rush of emotion.

Logan's grin widened.

"Yer impossible, y' know that?" He said as she pulled back.

"Y' love meh foah it, shugah," She said with a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

Logan pulled her to him again and initiated another kiss, this time slipping his tongue into her mouth.

His hands began to wander, down from the top of her spine to below her lower back and up again, sometimes slipping around to the sides of her breasts.

"Y' ready now?" Logan asked, pulling away from her mouth slightly to look into her eyes.

Rogue nodded.

"What happens, happens," She said confidently.

                                                                                          + + + + +

_{{ The end…for now…Look for the sequel 'Rise of the Phoenix' coming soon! }}_

**Author's note: **Awww, isn't that sweet. What an ending to what a story! 0.o

                            The second story, _Rise of the Phoenix_, is already several chapters long, so I'll

                            Have it up in no time.

**Credits:        **First of all, I have to thank Marvel Entertainment for creating such wonderful characters!

                            Then I have to thank my sista Annie ^-^, lilly, eric, shan, and especially my fans for reading 

                            and reviewing my work with such wonderful comments! Thank u!!!!! U are the bestest of the 

                            best, pplz!!!!!!

                                                                                         ~**1LiLRoGuE/KaTe~**

                             __


End file.
